National Assembly minority leader and Suna East MP, Junet Mohamed, has called for reforms in Kenya’s approach to protests, urging peaceful and constitutional demonstrations.
Speaking on Monday during the presentation of the Report on the Frameworks for the Reparations for victims of human rights violations at State House, he recalled years of political activism, alleged killings during protests, and pledged parliamentary support for implementing the NADCO framework and the 10-point agenda reforms.
He gave a detailed account of the post-election unrest in 2017.
“We lost 17 people there on the spot, and I still remember their pictures.” He made the remarks while reflecting on the wider violence that followed the disputed 2017 elections, a period in which human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, documented at least 33 deaths in Nairobi alone, with some nationwide reports indicating higher casualty figures.
According to Junet, Kenya’s reform agenda should focus on transforming how protests are conducted, strengthening accountability for past human rights violations, and fully implementing agreed political frameworks.
He called for demonstrations to be “peaceful, orderly, and constitutional,” backed by clear legal enforcement to prevent loss of life during political activity.
The minority leader also pushed for the implementation of the NADCO report and the 10-point agenda as the foundation for national reconciliation and governance reforms, emphasizing reparations for victims of past human rights violations, and urging the state to acknowledge historical injustices linked to protest crackdowns.
His remarks come amid the ongoing implementation of the NADCO framework, which seeks to address electoral disputes, governance concerns, and accountability for past political violence in Kenya.
Junet further advocated for institutional reforms that ensure political actors commit to non-violence, transparency, and respect for human rights, stressing that both government and opposition must support lawful civic engagement to avoid a repeat of past deadly confrontations during demonstrations.
The Framework for Reparations for Victims of Human Rights Violations in Kenya traces its roots to a presidential initiative launched in August 2025, when President William Ruto issued a proclamation establishing a national mechanism to address victims of demonstrations, public protests, and riots dating back to 2017.
The directive aimed to create a structured system for identification, verification, compensation, and institutional reform, responding to long-standing allegations of police brutality, deaths, and injuries during election-related unrest and civic demonstrations.
The framework was developed under the Executive Office of the President, with implementation support from the Attorney General, Interior Ministry, and Treasury.
A key milestone came on August 25, 2025, when a Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests was gazetted under Gazette Notice No. 12002 of August 25, 2025.
The panel was chaired by Professor Makau Mutua, President Ruto’s senior advisor on constitutional affairs, and deputised initially by Faith Odhiambo (former LSK President), later replaced by Claris Awuor Ogangah (KNCHR Chairperson).
Other members included Irungu Houghton (Amnesty International Kenya), Kennedy Ogeto, and John Olukuru, among others.
The initiative was politically anchored in dialogue between President Ruto and opposition leader, the late Raila Odinga, who jointly supported reforms under the broader NADCO framework.
According to KNCHR updates, the process included verification of victims of violations, with at least 1,224 victims initially documented, later rising above 1,500 cases, covering extrajudicial killings, torture, and protest-related deaths.
The framework builds on Kenya’s long transitional justice history, including lessons from the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC), which recommended reparations for victims of historical injustices.
Progressively, the minority leader highlighted that the reforms marked a turning point in addressing long-standing grievances.
“Today we are here implementing the NADCO report and implementing the 10-point agenda,” he said, referring to the National Dialogue Committee framework agreed between President Wilima Ruto and the late opposition leader, Raila Odinga.
On future demonstrations, Junet pledged institutional support for reform.
“We will support, as parliament, any efforts that will make the next demonstrations peaceful, within the law and within the constitution,” he explained.
He concluded that although political competition and demonstrations would remain part of Kenya’s democratic landscape, future protests should be conducted in a more peaceful, orderly, and constitutional manner.