NAIROBI, Kenya – Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi has questioned the credibility of the government’s compensation process for victims of human rights violations after the latest report showed only one approved fatality claim among 157 cases.
In a statement issued on Monday, November 9, Muturi demanded that Professor Makau Mutua and the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Human Rights Violations explain how the latest figures were arrived at and reconcile them with independent investigations documenting deaths during Kenya’s 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.
Muturi said the reported figure raised concerns about transparency and whether families of people killed during the demonstrations had been adequately considered.
He warned against interpreting the one-fatality figure as an accurate account of all deaths arising from the protests, arguing that such an interpretation would diminish the suffering of victims and their families.
The controversy follows the panel’s November 5 announcement that it had processed 157 verified claims worth Sh96.95 million under Phase VII of the compensation programme.
The breakdown included one fatality claim valued at Sh3 million, 47 severe-injury claims worth Sh47 million, 74 moderate-injury claims worth Sh37 million, 19 minor-injury claims worth Sh950,000 and 11 economic-loss claims worth Sh550,000. Five additional claims involved aggravated injuries.
The panel said the claims covered civilians and uniformed officers affected by different forms of human rights violations. It also maintained that applications undergo verification and authentication before decisions are made.
Muturi Cites KNCHR, Amnesty and Human Rights Watch Reports
Muturi questioned how the latest fatality figure could be reconciled with reports published by human rights organisations documenting deaths during the June and July 2024 demonstrations.
He cited the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), which recorded 60 deaths and 601 injuries in connection with the protests between June 18 and July 15, 2024.
Human Rights Watch subsequently reported that KNCHR had documented at least 73 deaths during the protests by late July, warning that the actual number could be higher as more bodies were discovered and other reported victims remained unaccounted for.
Amnesty International’s reporting also documented deaths, injuries and alleged violations by security officers during the demonstrations.
The Democratic Party leader challenged Mutua’s team to explain how its verification process accounted for the deaths documented by the different organisations.
He specifically questioned whether hospital records, mortuary reports, post-mortem findings and records held by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) had been examined when determining eligibility for compensation.
Muturi called for the immediate publication of the panel’s methodology, complete findings and an independently verifiable reconciliation of reported deaths and approved claims.
However, the one fatality listed in Phase VII does not establish that the panel has recognised only one death across the entire compensation programme.
Earlier phases had already covered other verified claims, with reports indicating that more than Sh1 billion had been paid to protest victims and affected uniformed officers before the latest allocation.
Compensation Deadline Approaches
Muturi’s statement comes as the panel prepares to close its window for receiving new compensation applications on November 14, 2026.
The November 5 update urged victims, families and beneficiaries who had not submitted claims to do so before the deadline, while assuring applicants that every case would undergo verification.
The latest phase is part of a wider government programme intended to compensate people affected by human rights violations, including those arising from demonstrations and public protests.
Muturi argued that financial compensation should not replace investigations into alleged unlawful killings, enforced disappearances and other abuses.
He invoked the Victim Protection Act, 2014, insisting that affected families were entitled to more than financial payments and should also receive truth, justice and accountability.
“Compensation is not justice, and reconciliation cannot be built on the erasure of human lives,” he said.
He further demanded that every reported death be accounted for, disappearances investigated and anyone found responsible for unlawful killings held accountable in accordance with the law.
The November 14 deadline applies to the submission of new claims. The panel has said applications will still undergo verification before decisions are communicated to claimants.
