Survivors of state violence are calling on President Ruto to apologize to them personally for atrocities committed by the state. They rejected what they described as an incomplete apology from the government and urged the expert panel on compensation to publish the names of those scheduled to receive payouts.
The survivors also want accountability from both the panel and the state, with particular focus on those responsible for violence against them. Hours after the president acknowledged the excesses that left thousands dead, maimed, and businesses destroyed, the Coalition of Victims and Survivors Against State Violence said his remarks did not go far enough.
“No apology can erase the bloodshed, trauma and pain inflicted on people whose only crime was exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest,” Joshua Okayo, an abduction survivor, said.
“Because the brutality and excesses were personal, the apologies should also be personal. We therefore expect the President to extend the same apologies directly to the victims,” Nick Karanja, an advocate for survivors, added.
The framework unveiled on Monday sets out a Ksh.2 billion compensation fund to address more than 1,100 claims involving loss of life, injuries, torture, abductions, enforced disappearances, and other abuses. However, survivors say the government has not yet provided enough clarity on when and how the compensation will be paid out.
“Kenyans will not tolerate further delays, excuses, bureaucracy, or political sideshows designed to frustrate victims once again. Compensation must be swift, transparent, seamless, and delivered in good faith,” Bernard Kavuli, a survivor, said.
Survivors and victims’ families also questioned the size of the list of beneficiaries. They argued that both the number of people included and the compensation package itself should be substantially increased.
The survivors also want accountability and justice, especially for those responsible for the violations. They also argue that the state must address current cases rather than focus only on past events.
“My question to the president is this: if you have admitted that our children disappeared, that some were abducted, and that others were killed, why are you speaking about events that happened long ago instead of addressing these recent cases?” Mwende, a relative of a victim, said.
Survivors’ representatives said investigations must target police officers and everyone involved in shootings, torture, kidnappings, and killings and that those individuals must face responsibility. They added that compensation cannot erase the criminal responsibility of perpetrators.
The survivors said they expect compensation payments to begin within a week. They warned that failure to meet that timeline will trigger nationwide demonstrations.
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