Muturi questions compensation of protest victims after task force report of one fatality

NAIROBI, Kenya — Democratic Party of Kenya leader Justin Muturi has raised doubts about the government’s compensation process for victims of recent anti-government protests, after a task force report revealed only one fatality among 157 cases approved for financial aid. In a statement on Monday, Muturi demanded an explanation from Professor Makau Mutua, who leads the Uwiano team managing the compensation process, questioning the accuracy of the reported fatality count and demanding full publication of the team’s methodology, findings and verifiable records of all deaths during the protests.

Muturi cautioned that a single fatality figure could erode public trust in the compensation exercise and diminish the suffering of families who lost relatives during the demonstrations. He referenced reports by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International, which documented 60 to 73 deaths during the June-July 2024 protests.

Muturi challenged the Uwiano team to explain how its findings align with these independent assessments and asked for details on how they determined eligibility for compensation. He also questioned whether the team reviewed hospital, mortuary, post-mortem, and IPOA records before reaching their conclusions, demanding transparency in identifying beneficiaries and ensuring no families are excluded.

Muturi emphasized that compensation should not substitute for investigations into human rights violations or protect those responsible for unlawful killings. He urged the government to fully implement the Victim Protection Act, 2014, which outlines steps for supporting and protecting victims, and stressed that the compensation process should complement investigations into reported deaths, disappearances, and accountability for perpetrators.