More than 1,800 Kenyans who suffered human rights violations during protest-related unrest spanning nearly a decade are set to begin receiving state compensation as early as next week, the government announced on Monday.
The announcement came during a State House event where the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) formally presented the Report on the Framework for Reparations for Victims of Human Rights Violations to President William Ruto — a milestone that signals the country is moving from acknowledgment to action.
Senior Advisor on Constitutional Affairs Professor Makau Mutua said an AI-integrated case management system is now being used to verify all eligible names before payments begin.
“The panel, your excellency, is now subjecting all of these names to verification assisted by its AI-integrated case management system and will be in a position to begin making payments in a short time — in a week from today,” Mutua said.
The government set aside Ksh2 billion for the exercise in the first supplementary budget for the 2025/2026 financial year, with the compensation scheme covering victims of unrest from the 2017 and 2022 post-election periods, the 2023 and 2024 Finance Bill protests, and the 2025 Saba Saba demonstrations.
KNCHR Chairperson Claris Ogangah, who presented the report to the President, said the initiative marks a turning point in Kenya’s pursuit of justice and healing.
“Kenya has taken an important step towards healing historical wounds, strengthening national unity and building a society founded on justice, human dignity, accountability and respect for human rights,” she said.
Since the reparations framework was launched, KNCHR has documented 1,815 claims. An additional 1,022 cases were submitted by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), with further files forwarded through the Ministry of Interior. From these combined records, 1,101 victims have been verified and their consent obtained, spread across six categories of violations — 245 deaths, 135 injuries, 473 arrests, 75 cases of sexual violence, and 138 incidents of property destruction.
Ogangah noted that not every claim submitted qualified under the reparations framework. Cases deemed isolated criminal acts will be handled through the ordinary criminal justice process.
The compensation scheme covers a wide range of affected parties — civilians and security personnel alike — including bereaved families, those who suffered severe injuries, torture, abduction, enforced disappearance, and sexual violence. Business owners who suffered economic losses have also submitted over 160 claims currently under assessment.
To qualify, victims and families were required to submit supporting documents to KNCHR, including P3 forms, medical reports, hospital discharge summaries, and Occurrence Book records. Death-related claims additionally require post-mortem reports and witness statements.
With verification nearing completion, authorities say eligible victims could begin receiving their payments before the end of next week.
