Survivors of State violence have rejected the government’s compensation alone, saying it cannot deliver justice for victims of killings, abductions and torture.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, the Coalition of Victims and Survivors Against State Violence (CVSSV) said President William Ruto’s acknowledgement of State excesses was not enough, arguing that victims need direct recognition for the suffering they experienced.
They noted that while the government’s decision to establish a reparations programme was a step forward, it must be followed by transparency, accountability and timely compensation.
“No apology can erase the bloodshed, trauma and pain inflicted on people whose only crime was exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest,” Joshua Okayo, an abduction survivor, said.
Okayo emphasised that the government “does not deserve applause for a forced apology two years after innocent Kenyans were abducted, maimed, tortured and killed under its watch and directive.”
The survivors are now demanding publication of the compensation list and a personal apology from President Ruto to those who suffered violations.
“Because the brutality and excesses were personal, the apologies should also be personal. We therefore expect the President to extend the same apologies directly to the victims,” Nick Karanja, an advocate for survivors, said.
The group also demanded that the government make public the list of people set to receive compensation, saying victims need assurance that the process will be fair.
“The reason we are calling for the publicising of this list is that we don’t trust this government,” Benard Kavuli, one of the victims, added.
The government announced that more than 1,000 victims of human rights violations, including those affected by police brutality and excessive use of force by State agents, would begin receiving compensation from next week.
The reparations programme includes a Sh2 billion compensation fund meant to address more than 1,100 claims involving loss of life, injuries, torture, abductions and enforced disappearances, among other violations.
However, survivors said there was still a need for clarity on how the funds would be distributed and when victims would receive the payments.
“Kenyans will not tolerate further delays, excuses, bureaucracy or political sideshows meant to frustrate victims once again. Compensation must be swift, transparent, seamless and conducted in good faith,” Kavuli said.
The victims and their families also questioned the number of people included in the compensation programme, saying both the list of beneficiaries and the amount set aside should be increased.
They said the process must also address accountability, insisting that compensation should not prevent investigations and prosecution of individuals accused of committing violations.
“My question to the President is this: if you have admitted that our children disappeared, that some were abducted, and that others were killed, why are you speaking about events that happened long ago instead of addressing these recent cases?” Mwende, a relative of a victim, said.
“We expect investigations into police officers and all those involved in the shootings, torture, kidnappings and killings to proceed. They should be held accountable. Compensation does not erase the criminal responsibility of those involved in these acts,” a survivor’s representative added.
CVSSV also announced plans to hold vigils and demonstrations every Sunday before June 25 in remembrance of victims of the June 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests, which turned bloody and left scores dead and others injured.
“Vigils and demonstrations shall be held every Sunday preceding June 25 across the country as Kenyans unite in solidarity, remembrance and reflection on The Gen Z Liberation Day. The blood of innocent Kenyans shall never be forgotten. Justice delayed must not become,” the lobby said in a statement.
The survivors warned that compensation payments should begin within a week; failure to do so would lead to nationwide demonstrations.
The debate over the reparations programme has also raised concerns over accountability for perpetrators.
While the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) framework recognises different forms of reparation, including guarantees of non-repetition, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Charles Kanjama said it “does not set out a framework for ensuring accountability for perpetrators”.
Siaya Governor James Orengo also questioned whether compensation without prosecution would prevent future violations.
“If deaths and injuries resulting from demonstrations can be settled through predetermined compensation, the urgency to prevent such violations diminishes. As long as there is no accountability by arrest and prosecution of the offenders, the reparations program only exists to legitimise the use of excessive force by attaching a financial cost to human life,” Orengo said in a statement.
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