KANU Secretary General Fred Okango, who also sits on the presidential panel on protest victims’ compensation, has clarified that the Makau Mutua-led committee will not limit its work to issuing payouts.
During a radio interview on Monday, September 8, 2025, Okango said the panel will tour all 47 counties to meet victims of past protests and gather their views.
He emphasized that the panel’s role extends beyond compensation, noting that it will directly engage affected communities in protest hotspots to better understand their needs and concerns.
“The panel will visit all the hotspots in all the counties to engage with the victims to listen to their needs and concerns as far as the protests were concerned,” Okango said.
Okango added that beyond compensating victims, the committee also has the responsibility to recommend prosecutorial action against individuals implicated in injustices during protests, if evidence arises during its work.
He explained that the panel is further required to propose legislative reforms targeting institutions that often play central roles during demonstrations.
“Where evidence permits, after going through their work, they can recommend to constitutional institutions like IPOA and ODPP prosecution of those who have been found culpable of committing some of these atrocities,” Okango stated.
Okango urged Kenyans to rally behind the initiative, saying it forms part of the healing journey for families who lost loved ones or for those left injured during protests. He stressed that the panel, if given support, will not only provide compensation but also deliver justice.
Panel Faces Legal Challenge
At the same time, the High Court in Kerugoya has temporarily stopped the operations of the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests. The court issued the order after a petition challenged the panel’s establishment.
In a ruling delivered on Monday, Justice Magare Dennis Kizito Ngwono granted conservatory orders suspending both the panel’s mandate and the presidential proclamation of August 6, 2025, until the petition is fully heard.
He directed the respondents and other interested parties to be served immediately, file their responses within seven days, and adhere to a strict submissions timetable ahead of the next hearing on October 6, 2025.
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