Ruto announces 120-day compensation framework for protest victims
The framework aims to bring accountability and offer redress to both civilians and security officers affected during these demonstrations.
President William Ruto has announced the formation of a national framework that will coordinate the compensation of people who were injured or lost their lives during protests and demonstrations held in Kenya from 2017 to date.
The 120-day program will focus on providing reparations to both civilians and security officers affected by the unrest.
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The framework, officially declared through a presidential proclamation issued on August 8, 2025, will be managed under the Executive Office of the President and implemented jointly with key government agencies.
“I, William Samoei Ruto, President and Commander in Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces in exercise of the authority vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby establish a coordinating framework for compensation of victims of protests and riots, which shall be vested under the Executive Office of the President,” Ruto said in the proclamation dated August 6, 2025. .
The Office of the Attorney General, the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, the National Treasury, and other government bodies will work together to support the process.
“There is compelling national interest in establishing a framework for accountability, redress and reparations for victims of demonstrations and public protests,” the President stated.
The new initiative comes at a time when the country is facing growing pressure over how recent protests have been handled, with rising demands for justice, accountability, and support for those affected. The President acknowledged that while the Constitution guarantees the right to demonstrate, some protests have turned violent, causing serious harm.
Since the 2010 Constitution came into effect, Kenyans have had increased freedom to express dissent through peaceful demonstrations and picketing. However, Ruto noted that some of these events have “regrettably turned violent,” leading to injuries and deaths.
He stressed the need to balance the right to protest with civic duty and public safety.
To steer the process, Ruto appointed Makau Mutua, the Senior Advisor on Constitutional Affairs and Human Rights, as the Principal Coordinator of the State Intervention and Compensation Framework. The team he leads has been given 120 days from the date of the proclamation to carry out its work.
Although the exact methods of compensation and the number of people to benefit are not yet detailed, the framework marks a shift towards institutionalised reparative justice.
It signals the government’s intention to address the aftermath of past protests in a structured way, with a focus on both healing and accountability for victims and their families.
ODM Party leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga last month said that President Ruto’s government was preparing to compensate families of those killed during the June-July 2024 anti-tax and anti-government protests.
In an interview with NTV, Raila said a process for compensation is underway and will begin “shortly,” as families of those killed and injured, mostly by police, during the demos continue to demand justice.
“On the issue of compensation… shortly, you're going to see what is going to happen; the compensation is going to start,” Odinga said.
When pressed on how the government plans to fund the initiative, given that the 2025/26 national budget contains no line item for protest victim compensation, Odinga claimed the Contingencies Fund will be used.
“There’s always the provision of contingencies in the budgets. The contingency fund is available. And I just want you to hold your horses. Shortly, there’s going to be compensation; it is going to start. And we now have a task force to deal with it,” he said, without providing further details.
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