The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has called for its full involvement in the process of compensating victims of police brutality and human rights violations that occurred during protests between 2017 and 2025.
Through its National Executive Committee (NEC), the party said that while it supports the government’s initiative to compensate victims, it is important for ODM to participate in identifying and verifying beneficiaries to ensure fairness and transparency.
In its resolution, ODM stated that many of those who were killed, injured, or lost property during political demonstrations were its supporters, and therefore the party should be directly involved in the compensation process.
“ODM should be fully involved to ensure transparency, as it was the party most affected in many of these incidents,” the party said.
The statement comes as the government rolls out a KSh2 billion compensation programme for victims of human rights abuses linked to protests and political unrest over the past eight years.
The programme stems from recommendations made by the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO), which was established following the political tensions witnessed in 2023.
Speaking during a meeting with Professor Makau Mutua and the panel of experts overseeing the programme, ODM leader Dr Oburu Oginga said the initiative was an important step in the country’s journey toward justice and national reconciliation.
Dr Oginga said that many Kenyans have suffered from police brutality for years without receiving justice or official recognition.
He cited the compensation awarded to the mother of Baby Pendo as one of the programme’s first major achievements. Baby Pendo died following a police operation in Kisumu after the 2017 General Election.
For his part, Prof. Mutua described the programme as historic, saying it is intended to help the nation confront the wounds caused by state violence against citizens who were exercising their constitutional rights.
“This is a unique opportunity for our nation. It is a historic step unlike anything we have witnessed before,” he said.
He emphasized that compensation does not mean those responsible for human rights violations will escape accountability.
“Compensation cannot replace accountability. Those who violated the law must be held responsible,” he said.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), a total of 1,937 claims were received from victims of incidents that occurred between 2017 and 2025, with 1,101 claims already verified.
President William Ruto said the government has allocated KSh2 billion for the compensation programme, noting that although the funds cannot restore lives lost, they represent an important step toward acknowledging the suffering endured by victims and their families.
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