Saturday, 8 August 2026

Kenya’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026

Saturday, 8 August 2026

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Kenyan press · Person

Makau Mutua

Also known as: Prof Makau Mutua · Prof. Makau Mutua · Professor Makau Mutua · Prof. Mutua · Prof Mutua

Presidential Advisor and chair of Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Human Rights Violations during 2024 protests.

2026-05-102026-08-08

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

June 2026
15 JunThe Standard
… ctims of protest-related violence will be identified, verified, and compensated under a structured government programme, with Sh2 billion already allocated in the 2025/2026 supplementary budget to support the process.Senior Advisor on Constitutional Affairs, Professor Makau Mutua …
Protest victims to be compensated from next week
May 2026
29 MayThe Standard
… Makau Mutua, to process compensation claims linked to protests and police brutality dating back to 2017.The compensation process was initiated after years of complaints over police killings, enforced disappearances and torture. …
Victims of protests threaten mass demos over unpaid compensation deadline
10 MayThe Standard
… It is, to wit, a Kenyan culture, an epidemic," wrote Prof Makau Mutua, a legal expert and adviser to Ruto. …
Inside Kenya's battle to stop 'goons and guns' as fears of political violence grow

Society

High Court to rule on exclusion of 35 abduction victims from compensation

The News

A High Court judge will rule next Friday on a petition challenging the removal of 35 victims of abduction and enforced disappearance from a compensation list for anti-government protest victims. The petitioners accuse the Makau Mutua-led Panel of Experts of unlawfully excluding these victims and subjecting them to a new authentication process, while the KNCHR has backed the petition.

31 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Friday 31 July

High Court to rule on exclusion of 35 abduction victims from compensation
A High Court judge will rule next Friday on a petition challenging the removal of 35 victims of abduction and enforced disappearance from a compensation list for anti-government protest victims. The petitioners accuse the Makau Mutua-led Panel of Experts of unlawfully excluding these victims and subjecting them to a new authentication process, while the KNCHR has backed the petition.
31 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Monday 27 July

Ol Kalou by-election outcome challenges UDA's political narrative
An opinion piece argues that the Ol Kalou by-election has punctured the UDA's narrative after the party had framed it as a referendum on President William Ruto's broad-based government and a confidence vote in the ruling coalition's political machinery. The editorial warns that the ruling party risks mistaking podium praise for polling data, and cautions against dismissing the result as merely a by-election without broader implications.
27 July 2026 · The Standard →

Saturday 25 July

Protest brutality victims claim exclusion from compensation process
Victims of alleged State abductions during the 2024 Gen Z protests have filed a court case, alleging that despite President William Ruto's compensation process led by Prof Makau Mutua's panel, they have not been contacted or received payment.
25 July 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 22 July

Duncan Ojwang nominated as IPOA chairperson by President Ruto
President William Ruto has nominated legal scholar Dr. Duncan Ojwang Oburu to serve as Chairperson of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), Kenya's police oversight body responsible for investigating complaints of police misconduct and promoting accountability.
22 July 2026 · Capital News →

Monday 20 July

Makau Mutua dismisses DCP's Ol Kalou win as overblown
Political analyst Makau Mutua has downplayed the Democratic Congress Party's victory in the Ol Kalou by-election, arguing it should not be viewed as a broader indicator of the party's national strength. Mutua noted the DCP's first victory came in only one of ten by-election contests, while supporters and critics debate the result's significance ahead of the 2027 General Election.
20 July 2026 · Capital News →

Friday 17 July

Makau Mutua dismisses Ol Kalou by-election as insignificant to 2027
Presidential Advisor Makau Mutua has downplayed the political significance of the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, describing it as irrelevant to the 2027 General Election and rejecting opposition claims that the Democracy for the Citizens Party candidate's victory indicates growing public dissatisfaction with President William Ruto's administration.
17 July 2026 · Capital News →
Makau Mutua dismisses Ol Kalou by-election as irrelevant to 2027
Presidential Advisor Makau Mutua has dismissed the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election outcome, won by the opposition DCP, as insignificant to the 2027 General Election, arguing that a single by-election cannot predict national election results.
17 July 2026 · Capital News →

Sunday 12 July

Prof Mutua should face Parliament on victims compensation progress
An opinion piece argues that Presidential Victims Compensation Team chairman Prof Makau Mutua should appear before Parliament to answer questions about compensation for victims of the 2024 anti-government protests, citing a disconnect between public assurances that compensation is progressing well and testimonies from victims and families who report receiving no payments.
12 July 2026 · The Standard →

Thursday 9 July

Protest victims compensation panel denies program has stalled
The Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Human Rights Violations during demonstrations dismissed claims that the programme has stalled, stating that payments are ongoing and claims continue to be received and verified.
9 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Tuesday 7 July

Columnist notes Mutua's reversal on Ruto since 2020 public stance
Alexander Chagema's opinion piece criticizes Professor Makau Mutua for publicly declaring in July 2020 that he would never work with President Ruto, only to accept a position as Senior Adviser on Constitutional Affairs at State House by April 2025 and become a vocal defender of the government.
7 July 2026 · The Standard →

Sunday 5 July

Torture and abduction survivors excluded from protest compensation
Three weeks after President Ruto promised to compensate victims of human rights violations by state agencies, a panel of experts has begun processing claims, with over five hundred families receiving Ksh.674 million across two payment phases. However, survivors of torture, abductions, and enforced disappearances are notably absent from the compensation list, though the panel maintains that victims whose claims pass scrutiny will still receive government-promised compensation.
5 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Torture and abduction survivors excluded from protest victims compensation
Three weeks after President Ruto promised to compensate victims of human rights violations by state agencies, over five hundred families are receiving Ksh.674 million in two phases of payments for lost kin, injuries, business losses, and sexual violations. However, survivors of torture, abductions, and enforced disappearances are notably missing from the list of those compensated, prompting pressure on the expert panel to include them.
5 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Saturday 4 July

Protest victims claim exclusion from Kenya compensation program
Victims of 2024 and 2025 anti-government protests have raised concerns about exclusion from the second phase of a compensation programme for affected individuals. Some victims, including those allegedly abducted during the demonstrations, say they registered with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights but were omitted from beneficiary lists without explanation.
4 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Friday 3 July

Kenya compensates 505 protest victims with over Ksh.674 million
The Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Human Rights Violations has disbursed more than Ksh.674 million to 505 verified beneficiaries affected by demonstrations and public protests. In the second phase, 157 claims were processed—57 fatalities at Ksh.3 million each, 19 severe injuries at Ksh.1 million, 57 moderate injuries at Ksh.500,000, 18 minor injuries, and six aggravated sexual offence cases—totaling Ksh.225.4 million.
3 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Government disburses Sh225.4 million to protest victims
The government has cleared Sh225.4 million for the second phase of compensation to protest victims, covering 157 victims comprising 100 injury cases and 57 fatalities from public protests across the country. Families of deceased victims will each receive Sh3 million, while injury compensation ranges from Sh50,000 to Sh1 million depending on severity.
3 July 2026 · The Standard →

Sunday 28 June

Government pays Ksh.448M to 348 protest victims so far
The government has paid Ksh.448 million in compensation to 348 Kenyans under a protest victims compensation framework, with 500 more victims expected to receive compensation in the coming week, according to Professor Makau Mutua, chairperson of the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests.
28 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Prof Mutua knows blood money mocks justice
An opinion piece reflecting on the author's experience as a young democracy advocate at the University of Nairobi in the early 1980s, contrasting past ideals of justice and democracy with current circumstances.
28 June 2026 · The Standard →

Friday 26 June

Kenya marks June 25 anniversary of deadly Gen-Z protests
On the second anniversary of the June 25, 2024 anti-government protests that left 62 young Kenyans dead after security forces opened fire, families of victims, opposition leaders and civil society groups commemorated the events. Police deployed heavily across Nairobi and other cities, erecting roadblocks and closing Parliament buildings and businesses.
26 June 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 24 June

ODM leader hosts panel for protest victims report
ODM party leader Oburu Odinga hosted Prof. Makau Mutua and the Uwiano panel for an update on a report related to protest victims.
24 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
ODM leader hosts panel to discuss protest victims report
ODM party leader Oburu Odinga hosted Prof. Makau Mutua and the Uwiano panel for an update on a protest victims report.
24 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Kakamega family demands state compensation two years after police killing
Maurice and Alice Shiramba, parents of 34-year-old Caroline Shiramba who was killed by a stray bullet during the 2024 youth-led protests in Kakamega town, are urging President William Ruto to fast-track state compensation for families who lost loved ones in the deadly demonstrations.
24 June 2026 · The Standard →
Oburu calls for police protection of peaceful protest demonstrators
ODM Party Leader Oburu Oginga has urged police to protect peaceful demonstrators during a planned commemoration of young people killed in anti-government protests, saying security officers should allow people to exercise their constitutional rights. He defended the victims' compensation plan as recognition of government wrongs and credited the late Raila Odinga with pushing for compensation as part of the 10-point agenda.
24 June 2026 · The Standard →
Panel urges demonstration victims to lodge compensation claims
A Panel of Experts is calling for individuals whose rights were violated during demonstrations to lodge complaints for compensation. The panel has announced compensation for over 348 victims and says claims can be considered even with missing documentation if sufficient evidence, including witness testimony, establishes that harm occurred.
24 June 2026 · The Standard →

Tuesday 23 June

348 protest victims to receive Ksh448.7M compensation
The government has commenced compensation for victims of human rights violations from demonstrations and public protests between 2013 and 2025, with 348 verified victims set to receive a total of Ksh448.7 million in the first phase. The Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Human Rights Violations said compensation is being issued only to victims who have consented to the process.
23 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
348 protest victims to receive Ksh448.7 million compensation
The government has begun compensating victims of human rights violations from demonstrations and protests between 2013 and 2025, with 348 verified victims set to receive Ksh448.7 million in the first phase of the programme.
23 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Sh448.7m paid to 348 protest violence victims
A government-backed panel chaired by Makau Mutua has begun disbursing compensation to verified victims of human rights violations linked to protests between 2013 and 2025, with an initial payout of Sh448.7 million as the first phase of a Sh2 billion reparations framework. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights verified 1,101 cases of alleged violations including extra-judicial killings, torture, abductions, sexual violence and destruction of property.
23 June 2026 · Capital News →
Rights defender urges transparent compensation for protest victims
David Koros, President of the Institute for Human Rights in Geneva, has called for a comprehensive national approach to address police brutality and torture, with compensation structured in phases beginning with 2007/2008 post-election violence victims, followed by cases from 2017 to 2024, and ongoing violations. He also urged accountability within security agencies and warned that lack of clear presidential commitment risks undermining public trust.
23 June 2026 · The Standard →
State begins paying Sh448.7 million to protest violation victims
The government has begun compensating 348 verified victims of protest-related human rights violations with Sh448.7 million in the first phase, covering violations from 2013 to 2025. Payments include Sh3 million for families of those killed during demonstrations, Sh1 million for victims of severe injuries or sexual offences, and smaller amounts for moderate and minor injuries.
23 June 2026 · The Standard →

Sunday 21 June

Political violence echoes 1990s repression, warns columnist
Barrack Muluka warns that recent state-sponsored attacks on journalists and protestors, including the invasion of All Saints Cathedral, mirror violent repression from the 1990s multiparty era and threaten to return Kenya to its darkest history.
21 June 2026 · The Standard →

Thursday 18 June

Protest victims' compensation panel unveils framework and eligibility criteria
A panel chaired by Prof. Makau Mutua has unveiled a compensation framework for victims of protest-related violence, detailing amounts eligible victims may receive. The panel has set aside Ksh.2 billion for compensation payments and published eligibility criteria and application guidelines ahead of the second anniversary of the June 25 protests.
18 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →