A Debt Unpaid: Kenya's Belated Reckoning With Protest Victims

By Kimberly Odumbe | Advocate Trainee |

Two years after Gen Z protesters were shot dead in Kenya's streets, the government has begun paying compensation to victims of protest-related violence dating back to 2013. Here is what the programme covers, who qualifies, and how to file a claim.

On 25 June 2024, thousands of young Kenyans, united online and in the streets marched against the Finance Bill 2024 in what became the most consequential act of civic defiance since the push for multiparty democracy in the 1990s. By the end of the demonstrations, at least 62 people were dead, hundreds more lay injured, and dozens had simply vanished.

Two years on, the Kenyan government has initiated a formal compensation programme for victims of protest-related human rights violations; a process spanning incidents between 2013 and 2025. The programme, backed by a Ksh 2 billion parliamentary allocation, is being administered through the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and overseen by the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Human Rights Violations, chaired by Prof. Makau Mutua.

Yet for many families, money is not justice. And for others who remain excluded from the verified list, the programme raises more questions than it answers.

Background: A Decade of Protest, A Decade of Deaths

Kenya's history of state violence against protesters did not begin with Gen Z. The compensation programme covers protest-related violations stretching back to 2013, a recognition that the pattern of security forces killing and maiming civilians during public demonstrations is neither new nor isolated.

The protests that crystallised the current conversation were the June–July 2024 demonstrations against the Finance Bill, followed by the 2025 Saba Saba demonstrations and subsequent anniversary marches. According to the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA), a combined 127 deaths across three waves of protest are now under investigation. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) documented at least 63 deaths during the 2024 protest period alone, alongside 610 injuries and 74 enforced disappearances. Rights organisations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Missing

Voices Coalition, have additionally documented extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, sexual violence, and enforced disappearances, with concerns deepening following reported abductions in Nairobi's Mathare area. As of mid-2026, the Human Rights Watch World Report confirms that 41 people linked to the protests remain missing; 26 from 2024 and 15 from 2025.

"Does participating in public demonstrations or expressing yourself warrant death?" — Demas Kiprono, Executive Director, ICJ Kenya

The Compensation Framework: What Was Set Up, and How

The road to compensation has been neither straightforward nor swift. In August 2025, President William Ruto issued a Presidential Proclamation establishing a Panel of Experts to design a compensation framework; a move subsequently declared unconstitutional by the High Court in Kerugoya in December 2025, which ruled that the KNCHR holds the exclusive constitutional mandate for reparations design.

In March 2026, the President issued a new proclamation under Article 254(2) of the Constitution, directing KNCHR to prepare and submit a framework within 60 days. The Commission complied. On 15 June 2026, KNCHR presented its Framework for Compensation and Reparations to President Ruto. The framework was subsequently operationalised through the Panel of Experts, guided by the KNCHR Reparation Guidelines 2026, and Gazette Notice 12002 of 2025.

The programme is designed as a reparations system not merely a payout exercise encompassing compensation, rehabilitation, restitution, acknowledgement, and guarantees of non-repetition.

What the Programme Covers

The compensation programme extends to verified victims of protest-related human rights violations from 2013 to 2025. It covers six categories of harm:

• Fatalities; deaths of civilians and, in some cases, security personnel
• Severe and moderate injuries
• Sexual violence committed in the context of protests
• Arbitrary arrests and unlawful detention
• Destruction of property
• Economic loss and business disruption

Notably, the framework also covers security officers members of the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service, and National Youth Service, who were injured during the protest periods.

The programme applies a “reasonable basis to believe” evidentiary standard, deliberately lower than the threshold required in court proceedings, to ensure accessibility for victims who may have lost documentation or face difficulties gathering formal evidence.

Compensation Amounts: How Much Are Victims Receiving?

Phase One of disbursements commenced on 23 June 2026, covering 348 verified victims with a total payout of Ksh 448.7 million. The breakdown is as follows:

Category	No. of Victims	Amount per Victim
Deaths (fatalities)	115 (Phase 1)	Ksh 3,000,000
Severe injuries	Included	Ksh 500,000
Moderate injuries	60 victims	Ksh 23,148 (aggregate)
Sexual violence	8 victims	Ksh 61,728 (aggregate)
Economic/property loss	4 victims	Ksh 1,545 (aggregate)
Total (Phase 1)	348 victims	Ksh 448.7 million

The overall programme, once complete, is intended to cover more than 1,100 verified victims, with a total fund of Ksh 2 billion (approximately $15.5 million). President Ruto described the payments as an “acknowledgement that harm occurred.”

"Even if you gave me 20 million, it won't be enough compensation for the life of my son. What we want is accountability. Those responsible should be brought before a court." ~ James Otieno, father of a protest victim

The Accountability Gap: Compensation Without Conviction

Even as cheques are being issued, families and civil society organisations have been unequivocal: compensation is not justice. As of mid-2026, only three criminal cases arising from the 62 deaths recorded during the 2024 protests have reached court, and not a single police officer has been convicted.

One of the most closely watched proceedings is the inquest into the fatal shooting of Rex Masai, among the first victims of the June 2024 demonstrations. Constable Isaiah Ndumba Murangiri was placed at the centre of that killing, but the trial has exposed significant investigative failures: investigators failed to recover the bullet removed from Masai's body, did not secure spent cartridges, did not retrieve the alleged murder weapon, and failed to preserve key CCTV footage.

The identification of suspect police officers has been further impeded by the documented practice of deploying personnel in plain clothes with concealed facial features, a conduct that constitutes a clear violation of established legal and regulatory frameworks governing law enforcement operations.

The Law Society of Kenya has filed petitions challenging, among other things, the alleged unlawful use of protesters' mobile phone data by state agencies. Constitutional petitions questioning the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces during the 2024 protests remain pending. Families of the missing continue to seek court orders to identify bodies that authorities sought to dispose of without DNA sampling.

Lawyer Nick Karanja, who represents several victims excluded from the compensation panel's list, has described the programme as a 'smokescreen.' One of his clients, Fenancia Njeri, has received no offer of compensation for the death of her son, killed on 7 July 2025.

How to File a Compensation Claim

If you or a family member was affected by protest-related violence between 2013 and 2025, and have not yet filed a claim, the process remains open. Here is a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Determine whether you qualify

The programme covers direct victims (injured, killed, sexually violated, arbitrarily arrested, or suffered property loss) as well as dependents and family members of those killed. Both civilians and security personnel are included.

Step 2: Check whether you have already filed

If you previously lodged a complaint with the KNCHR or IPOA, you do not need to submit a fresh application. Your existing records will be used in the verification process. Contact either institution to confirm your file status.

Step 3: Gather your documents

The documents required vary by category of harm:

• Deaths: Post-mortem report, burial permit, and national ID of the deceased (or birth certificate for minors)
• Injuries: Medical report, P3 form, hospital receipts, and pharmacy receipts
• Sexual violence: P3 form, medical report, and OB number from police records
• Economic/property loss: Witness statements, OB numbers, and documentary evidence of loss

Applicants who have lost required documents can still apply. The panel will conduct an independent verification process in such cases.

Step 4: Submit your application

Applications can be submitted through any of the following channels:

• Email: info@victimscompensation.go.ke

• Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) offices

• Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) offices

Your application must include your full name, contact information, and a description of the violation; including the date, time, location, and names of any witnesses, where known.

Step 5: Consent and verification

Compensation is only disbursed to victims who have completed verification and provided written consent. The panel will cross-check your submission against records held by state agencies.

Where claims are disputed, a review mechanism is available, particularly in cases involving new evidence, procedural unfairness, or alleged errors in assessment.

The Reckoning

Kenya does not have a compensation problem. It has an accountability problem. Cheques can be written, panels gazetted, press conferences held but none of that answers who gave the order, who pulled the trigger, and why they are still in uniform. The blood of 127 people demands more than a bank transfer. It demands a reckoning!

Money can acknowledge harm. Only accountability can end it. 

 

Kimberly Odumbe is an LLB graduate, trainee advocate, and firm believer that the most powerful tool in Kenya’s democracy is an informed citizen.  

 

 

Catch you in the next blog!

 

Disclaimer- The information provided is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice. Please consult a qualified professional for specific guidance.