NAIROBI, Kenya — The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has given Kenyans who suffered injuries or losses during protests in 2017, 2024, and 2025 a 21-day window to submit compensation claims.
In a statement issued Monday, March 16, the commission said victims or their families must present supporting documentation, including medical reports and post-mortem results, to verify the validity of their claims.
KNCHR Chairperson Claris Ogangah said the process is aimed at compiling a credible list of victims eligible for compensation.
“We are giving the public 21 days to report so that we can verify their information and include them in our list of victims,” Ogangah said.
The commission added that it is working with members of the government’s 10-point implementation committee to finalize a framework that will guide how compensation will be processed and distributed.
The move follows the gazettement of a special administrative team tasked with handling the compensation process. The team was appointed on March 6 by Felix Koskei, the Head of Public Service, to operate under the KNCHR once the compensation framework is completed.
The government has proposed allocating Sh2 billion in the supplementary budget to compensate victims, subject to approval by Parliament.
KNCHR said the allocation may be increased if the initial funds are insufficient to cover all verified claims.
“If the funds will not be enough to compensate the victims, the team may request another allocation for the compensation of victims in the 2026/2027 budget,” the commission said.
The development comes days after William Ruto ordered that compensation for victims of past protests be finalized by June 2026.
The president directed KNCHR to develop and submit a comprehensive compensation framework within 60 days.
Compensation for victims of protests formed part of the 10-point agreement between the two parties following the 2024 anti-government demonstrations that culminated in the formation of a broad-based government.
“I took the first step and gazetted a victims’ compensation panel. Even as the courts held it, we did some work. We have identified all the victims and profiled their names. We have a comprehensive list of all the victims of protests from 2017,” Ruto said.
The commission said the verification process will help ensure that only legitimate claims are included in the final compensation framework before payments begin.
