Chairperson of the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Human Rights Violations Prof. Makau Mutua has defended the government's compensation programme for victims of protest-related violence, saying the initiative is intended to provide relief, dignity and recognition to families affected by human rights abuses linked to demonstrations between 2013 and 2025.
Speaking on Citizen TV on Sunday, Prof. Mutua said the process addresses a long-standing issue of violence and suffering linked to protests that has affected Kenyans for decades.
"What happened to trigger this particular process goes back decades in our country," he said. "As far back as the 60s, people would demonstrate, and often that clash would result in either injuries or some fatalities."
Mutua said the compensation exercise was not designed to place a value on human life, but rather to acknowledge suffering and provide support to affected families, many of whom lost breadwinners.
"We obviously cannot compensate for a life. It is not possible, but what we can do is to say that we are sorry and in that process provide some token payment to the victims," he said.
According to the panel chairperson, approximately 1,100 claims have so far been identified, covering fatalities, injuries and economic losses.
He revealed that Sh448 million had already been paid to 348 verified claimants in the first phase of compensation, while another 500 claims are expected to enter processing this week.
"We are making progress, and some victims who have been compensated have come forward to express a measure of relief that the President has taken this matter on board and seen their pain," Mutua said.
He also defended the compensation formula, saying the figures were developed by a panel of legal experts, economists, doctors and specialists who studied compensation frameworks in several countries.
"We looked at Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa and Bangladesh," he said.
Under the current framework, families of victims who died during protests receive Sh3 million, while serious injuries attract Sh1 million and moderate injuries Sh500,000.
Mutua urged victims who may not yet have filed claims to come forward through designated channels including the panel offices at KICC, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
"We have a foolproof process of authenticating and verifying claims," he said, adding that the standard applied is a "reasonable basis to believe" supported by documentation such as police reports, hospital records and death certificates.
The programme covers violations linked to protests and demonstrations between 2013 and 2025. Recent figures released by the panel show that 348 verified victims have already been compensated under six categories of harm, including fatalities, severe and moderate injuries, minor injuries, sexual violence and economic losses.
Families of 115 people who died each received Sh3 million, while compensation was also issued for severe injuries, moderate injuries and other categories of harm.