Chairperson of the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests, Prof. Makau Mutua, has said victims of alleged human rights violations linked to protests could begin receiving compensation within a week as verification of more than 2,400 claims nears completion.
Speaking during the presentation of the Report on the Framework for Reparations for Victims of Human Rights Violations at State House, Nairobi on Monday, Mutua said the claims, drawn from oversight bodies and state agencies, are being processed through what he described as an “AI integrated case management system” designed to ensure transparency, accountability and full auditability of the reparations process.
“To date, my panel has received the names of approximately 1,100 victims from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and a further 1,200 from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority,” he said, adding that the panel had also received “over 200 names of victims from our security agencies… and over 160 names of persons whose businesses were damaged and who suffered economic loss.”
He said each file was being subjected to strict verification before any payment decisions are made.
“Each and every claim is verified and that determination of eligibility [is] made before any recommendation for reparations is made,” Prof. Mutua said.
He added that the system records all evidence, including medical reports and payment decisions, to ensure accountability.
“Independent auditors will have the ability to follow up and to verify every point that has been spent,” he said.
Mutua said the initiative was part of a wider effort to acknowledge harm and promote national healing.
“This report is an acknowledgement that your suffering is seen, and that the state accepts its duty to repair,” he said, adding that payments could begin “in as short a time as a week from today.”
The panel’s announcement comes amid growing pressure from victims’ groups demanding faster action on compensation.
In a letter to the Inspector General of Police on June 9,2026, the Coalition of Victims and Survivors against State Violence said it plans to hold 10 days of demonstrations starting June 16 across Nairobi and other public spaces.
The coalition said the protests are meant to demand urgent government action, stating: “Our demonstrations arise from the government’s continued and unjustifiable delay in compensating victims and survivors of state violence despite repeated commitments that the compensation process would be finalised by June 2026.”
They further called for accountability and transparency, demanding “the immediate publication of a clear compensation implementation schedule, full disclosure of all funds allocated towards victim compensation and their utilisation.”
The group also wanted “a firm and binding commitment from the government on the conclusion of the compensation process, the immediate commencement and completion of compensation for all verified victims and survivors and accountability from public officers responsible for the continued delay.”
Prof. Mutua maintained that the process is being handled within the law and constitutional framework, saying: “Justice that is delivered lawfully is justice that endures,” as the government moves to finalise the reparations framework.