- President William Ruto has formed a panel to oversee compensation of protest victims dating back to 2017.
- The 18-member team will be chaired by Prof. Makau Mutua, with Faith Odhiambo Mony as vice chair.
- The panel will verify victims, categorise claims, and recommend reforms on policing and protest management.
President William Ruto has appointed an 18-member panel of experts to manage compensation for Kenyans affected by demonstrations and protests since 2017.
According to a Gazette Notice dated August 25, the team will be led by Prof. Makau Mutua, Ruto’s senior advisor on constitutional affairs and human rights. Faith Odhiambo Mony will serve as the vice chairperson.
The taskforce will:
Develop a framework to verify and compensate eligible victims.
Engage stakeholders for inclusivity and fairness.
Authenticate victim data.
Recommend reforms on policing and management of protests.
“This panel will ensure transparency, fairness, and justice for victims while laying a foundation for better protest management in the future,” the Gazette Notice reads.
Other members of the panel include:
Kennedy N. Ogeto, Irungu Houghton, John Olukuru, Rev. Kennedy Barasa Simiyu, Linda Musumba, Duncan Ojwang’, Naini Lankas, Francis Muraya, Juliet Chepkemei, Pius Metto, Fatuma Kinsi Abass, and Raphael Anampiu.
Richard Barno will serve as Technical Lead.
Duncan A. Okelo Ndeda as Co-Technical Lead.
Jerusah Mwaathime Michael and Raphael Ng’etich will act as joint secretaries.
The appointment follows President Ruto’s August 8 proclamation announcing a compensation framework, unveiled jointly with opposition leader Raila Odinga.
The two leaders also created a five-member coordinating committee chaired by Prof. Mutua, alongside Gabriel Oguda, Agnes Zani, Kevin Kiarie, Fatuma Ibrahim, and political strategist Javas Bigambo.
The joint Secretariat, co-led by UDA and ODM executive secretaries, will support both the committee and the expert panel.
The panel will be required to submit periodic reports to the Head of State once its mandate is completed.
