A section of victims of the 2024 and 2025 anti-government protests has raised concerns over their exclusion from the ongoing government compensation programme, saying they were left out despite registering their cases with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
The victims, some of whom say they were injured or allegedly abducted during the protests, claim they have not received any communication on their applications despite completing all required steps in the verification process.
They say they submitted their documents to the KNCHR in April and May this year, expecting to be included in the compensation list, but later discovered their names were missing in both the first and second phases of payouts.
The group further said no reason was given for their exclusion, despite what they describe as full compliance with the registration and verification requirements set by the relevant authorities.
Speaking during a press briefing, Ann Wanjiku, who said she was shot during the July 2, 2024, protests, appealed for her case to be reconsidered.
“I, for example, was shot in 2024, on July 2. I had a bullet in my body for six days. We are hearing that people are being compensated, but we have not seen anything. We have not seen even a single person receive it, yet we only hear that it is being paid out, and we do not know where it is being given. So, we are asking that we also be considered,” she said.
Wanjiku added that despite registering with both IPOA and KNCHR, she had not received any update or communication regarding the compensation process.
“We are hearing that people are being compensated, but we have not seen anything, and we do not even know where the compensation is being issued. We registered with IPOA and KNCHR, but we have not received a phone call or any communication,” she said.
Another victim, Thomas Nandwa, also urged the compensation panel to ensure that all those who went through verification are included in the programme.
“We have gone through all the required processes. We are many victims, and we are appealing to the authorities to consider us,” Nandwa said.
Among those raising similar concerns are brothers Jamil Longton and Aslam Longton, who say they were abducted during the 2024 protests and later subjected to abuse. The two said they registered with KNCHR on May 7 but have not received any communication or compensation to date.
They further questioned how the compensation process is being handled, arguing that even victims they are in contact with have not confirmed receiving any payments.
“We are being told that 40 per cent of the victims have already been compensated, yet we do not know who has received the money,” Aslam said.
His brother Jamil said a WhatsApp group of about 400 victims drawn from several counties, including Nairobi, Kisumu, Kakamega, Kitengela, Rongai and Ngong, had not identified a single person who had received compensation.
“We have a WhatsApp group with 400 people, all of them victims from across the country, from Kisumu, Kakamega, Nairobi, Kitengela, Rongai, Ngong, and all those areas that have many victims. We have tried to ask repeatedly whether there is even one person who has received compensation, even a single shilling from the government, but no one has confirmed being compensated. We feel this compensation process has been very opaque,” he said.
The concerns come as the government’s Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Human Rights Violations continues rolling out payouts worth more than Sh674 million to 505 verified victims linked to demonstrations and protests.
In its latest update on Friday, July 3, 2026, the panel said it had received more than 400 new claims in the past two weeks following a public call for victims to submit applications. It described the response as strong, noting a sharp rise in reported cases.
The panel added that the current phase covers 157 verified claims valued at more than Sh225.4 million, covering deaths, injuries and victims of sexual violence.
It further stated that families of 57 people who died during the protests had each received Sh3 million, totalling Sh171 million. Nineteen victims with severe injuries received Sh1 million each, while 57 others with moderate injuries were awarded Sh500,000 each.
The Victims Compensation Panel, chaired by Professor Makau Mutua, said individuals who believe they were wrongly excluded may file appeals by submitting supporting documents at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre or other designated centres.
It explained that eligibility was determined through verification records obtained from IPOA and KNCHR, noting that not all applicants met the required criteria. The panel, however, maintained that the appeals process remains open for affected individuals.
So far, 505 victims have been compensated, with additional beneficiaries expected in the upcoming third phase of the programme.
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