Govt explains why victims of abductions and enforced disappearances have not been compensated

The government has provided insight into why victims of abductions, enforced disappearances, and torture have not yet been compensated through the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Protests and Riots. Panel member Fredrick Okango explained that the verification process for eligibility has been intricate, with several cases being redirected to investigative bodies for additional examination before decisions on reparations can be finalized.

Speaking on November 11, 2026, Okango stressed that authorities cannot issue payments based on claims without initially establishing the circumstances of each case. He revealed that cases involving enforced disappearances, abductions, and torture have been directed to the police, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) for thorough investigations.

According to Okango, the complexity in establishing eligibility is the primary reason why compensation has not been processed for these categories of victims. This explanation accounts for the delay in compensating victims who have garnered public concern due to incidents of abductions, disappearances, and alleged human rights abuses in Kenya.

The delay has been a point of contention among victim families and human rights organizations, especially as other victim groups have received payments under the government-backed reparations program. In July 2026, survivors of abductions and enforced disappearances expressed their exclusion from earlier compensation payments, while families of individuals killed during protests and those injured received financial aid.

The compensation panel's chairperson, Professor Makau Mutua, had previously assured that these affected categories were not overlooked, stating that the panel was processing claims methodically. The government-backed program operates within a Ksh2 billion budget and aims to provide reparations to eligible victims of human rights violations linked to demonstrations, protests, and riots, covering various violations such as extrajudicial killings, torture, abductions, enforced disappearances, sexual violence, injuries, and economic losses.

The verification process requires claims to be substantiated before compensation approval. Professor Mutua reported on November 10 that over 700 victims of human rights violations had received compensation, including 236 families of victims who died due to human rights violations and more than 140 claims related to economic losses and 16 cases of sexual violence.

Okango's comments come a day after Mutua's disclosure, shedding light on the challenges faced by the compensation program, particularly in cases where establishing the circumstances of victims' violations requires investigations involving multiple state agencies. Families still awaiting compensation for abductions, enforced disappearances, and torture are left wondering about the duration of the verification process and when their claims will be resolved.