President William Ruto has established a formal mechanism to coordinate compensation for victims of demonstrations and riots held across Kenya.
The announcement was made through a presidential proclamation on Thursday, August 8, 2025.
“Now therefore, I, William Ruto, President and Commander in Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces in exercise of the authority vested in me by the Constitution, do HEREBY:
Establish a coordinating framework for compensation of victims of protests and riots, which shall be vested under the Executive Office of the President,” Ruto said.
The following is the list of Ruto’s executive orders:
I. A coordinating framework for the compensation of victims of protests and riots is hereby established and shall be vested under the Executive Office of the President.
II. The Executive Office of the President shall implement this mandate in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General, the Ministry of Interior & National Administration, the National Treasury, and all other relevant state agencies.
III. Prof. Makau Mutua, Senior Advisor on Constitutional Affairs and Human Rights, is appointed as the Principal Coordinator of this State Intervention and Compensation Framework.
IV. The tenure of this special coordination framework shall be 120 days from the date of this proclamation.
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Why Compensate Victims
The Executive Order was issued against the backdrop of several key constitutional and public interest considerations.
First, the Constitution of Kenya affirms the shared responsibility between the State and its citizens to uphold the delicate balance between civic duty and the exercise of constitutionally protected freedoms, as outlined in the Bill of Rights.
Since the 2010 promulgation of the Constitution, Kenya has witnessed an expanded democratic space that allows citizens from all walks of life to express themselves through demonstrations and picketing freely.
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However, some of these public protests have regrettably turned violent, resulting in injuries and loss of life.
Considering these developments, and driven by the compelling national interest in accountability, redress, and reparations, particularly for civilians and security personnel harmed during such events since 2017, the Executive saw it necessary to establish a formal compensation framework.
“There is compelling national interest in establishing a framework for accountability, redress and reparations for victims of demonstrations and public protests, including civilians and security personnel who lost their lives or suffered bodily harm during public protests and riots since the year 2017,” read the executive order.
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