Wajir West MP criticises government for excluding Wagalla Massacre victims from compensation plan

The government has been criticised for sidelining victims of historical atrocities in its compensation plan, with critics saying the move violates constitutional principles of equality, fairness and inclusivity.

Wajir West MP Yussuf Mohamed Farah has written to President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, demanding that survivors of the 1984 Wagalla Massacre and other historical injustices be included in the reparations framework.

In his letter, Yussuf described the initiative, which compensates victims of police brutality only up to 2017, as “discriminatory” and deliberately excluding those affected by earlier and more severe state-sponsored violence.

“The government is deliberately excluding victims of earlier and more egregious violations, most notably the Wagalla Massacre of February 1984,” reads the letter.

He recounted how thousands of civilians from the Somali Degodia community in Wajir were “unlawfully detained, tortured by being set on fire and shot and executed by members of the Kenyan Army,” during a military operation allegedly aimed at suppressing a planned rebellion.

Yussuf cited a long history of broken promises, stating that the late President Daniel arap Moi pledged compensation to the massacre victims in 1992.

Later, the Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) confirmed the mass killings and recommended reparations. He noted that former President Uhuru Kenyatta issued a formal apology in 2015, but the victims have yet to receive any financial compensation.

The MP argued that the current compensation plan violates the Constitution, specifically citing Article 10 on national values, Article 27 guaranteeing equality and freedom from discrimination and Article 28 on respect for human dignity.

Yussuf has now called for an immediate expansion of the compensation framework to cover all victims of police and state brutality, regardless of when the violations occurred.

He also demanded the specific inclusion of survivors of the 1984 Wagalla Massacre, along with other communities in Northern Kenya that have suffered historical injustices.

The MP further urged the President’s office to issue a public statement committing to a transparent, equitable and inclusive process for delivering reparations to all affected victims.

“This protest is not in opposition to the pursuit of justice for any victim but in pursuit of equal justice for all,” the MP said.

He warned that if the government continues with an exclusionary framework, victims would be forced to seek redress through the courts.

The Wagalla Massacre, one of Kenya’s most infamous episodes of post-independence state violence, took place in February 1984 at Wagalla Airstrip, Wajir.

Thousands of predominantly male civilians from the Degodia clan were rounded up by the Kenyan Army, subjected to brutal conditions, tortured, denied food and water and executed. The massacre remains a symbol of unaddressed historical injustice in Northern Kenya.

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The protest comes as President Ruto’s administration developed a framework to compensate victims of public protests and riots dating back to 2017. A presidential proclamation created a state-backed panel to oversee the process, involving the Attorney General’s office, the Ministry of Interior and the National Treasury.

Legal challenges have already emerged. On September 8, 2025, the High Court in Kerugoya issued conservatory orders halting the implementation of the framework and suspending the appointment of the 18-member panel, citing concerns over its constitutional mandate.

The case is set for mention on October 6, 2025.