The President of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Faith Odhiambo, has spoken out after days of mounting pressure from Kenyans who wanted her to reject President William Ruto’s appointment to co-chair the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Protests and Riots.
In an emotionally worded speech delivered during the panel's swearing-in on Thursday, Odhiambo dismissed claims that by accepting the role, she had betrayed Kenyans. She maintained that her decision was informed by a duty to safeguard justice and the rule of law while ensuring that victims of protests receive a fair hearing.
“As I take up this responsibility, let it be known that I have in no way betrayed your trust,” she said. “Let it be clear that access to criminal justice remains critical to me in our quest to promote and protect the rule of law as an essential element in the enjoyment of the fundamental human rights and freedoms.”
Odhiambo assured Kenyans that she would not let them down, adding that the deaths and injuries suffered during the protests must never be in vain. She promised to remain accountable to the people and to consistently update them on the progress of the panel’s work.
“I have today chosen a bold but unpopular step,” she admitted. “Some of my colleagues in the legal profession may not like this move, and thousands of Kenyans have voiced their reservations. However, my focus will remain on the victims.”
She recalled the pain of victims’ families, among many other parents whose children were killed during previous demonstrations, stating that her actions were informed by the need to ensure that justice for these families could no longer be delayed.
On Judiciary
Odhiambo further highlighted the case of Joseph Oloo Abanja and Lensa Achieng, who lost their infant daughter during a midnight police raid in Nyalenda, Kisumu. She criticised the judiciary for dragging its feet, noting that police officers implicated in protest-related killings often go unpunished.
She also pointed to recent testimony in court by Corporal Fredrick Okapesi, who admitted altering firearm records for officers deployed during the June 18, 2024, Gen Z protests in Nairobi. Such actions, she said, showed the systemic failures in holding perpetrators accountable.
According to her, the existing legal and institutional frameworks are ill-equipped to deal with historic crises, arguing that victims are often subjected to prosecution-led processes that are slow, unreliable, and insensitive to their needs.
“The Panel of Experts that I join today bears both the duty and opportunity to spearhead a revolutionary shift in victim reparations,” she said. “Never again shall Kenyans be killed by trigger-happy officers for exercising their constitutional rights.”
She added that the panel’s unprecedented structure and mandate will allow for a victim-led and accountability-centered approach to reparations. This, she said, was the only way to ensure justice, reforms, and non-repetition of such tragedies.
The LSK President, who has been in and out of police cells and holding facilities following the rights of nabbed protesters, further stressed that her service will be solely to Kenyans, not politicians.
“There is no Kenya that belongs exclusively to politicians and their children. We only have one nation, the Republic of Kenya. This process belongs to the victims and the ordinary mwananchi.”
Meanwhile, the 15-member panel will be chaired by his Constitutional Advisor, Professor Makau Mutua, with Odhiambo serving as vice-chairperson.
