Ruto Under Pressure To Increase Millions Offered To Families Of Protest Victims
Sometimes the path to justice is fraught with more tension than the grievances themselves.
A fresh dispute has emerged over the government’s proposed compensation plan for victims of recent Gen Z-led protests, dealing a political blow to President William Ruto’s administration as affected families reject the Ksh3 million payout as insufficient.
Only four days are remaining before the deadline set by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) for public submissions on the proposed reparations framework, victims and their families have voiced strong opposition to the current terms.
The framework suggests Ksh3 million compensation for deaths and Ksh2 million for cases of enforced disappearances.
However, in a press briefing on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, survivors and families argued the figures fall far short of the gravity of the losses suffered during the protests.
“We demand the establishment of a clear, minimum tax-exempt compensation of five million shillings for loss of life and disappearance,” George Obienge, a father who lost his child during the protests, told PD Daily.
Families Demand Higher Stakes for Justice
Beyond the financial dispute, survivors are pushing for a more tiered approach to reparations. The proposed counter-demands include Ksh4 million for survivors of sexual violence, Ksh3 million for those who were forcibly disappeared but later found, Ksh3 million for victims left with permanent disabilities, and Ksh250,000 for victims of unlawful arrest and detention.
Activists argue that the current government allocation of Ksh2 billion, while significant, fails to account for the depth of trauma and long-term consequences faced by victims.
Central to their demands is a call for President Ruto to publicly acknowledge the human rights violations that occurred during the 2024 and 2025 protests and to commit to preventing a recurrence.
Growing Calls for Deadline Extension
The friction is exacerbated by concerns that the compensation process is being rushed for political optics rather than genuine restorative justice.
Critics, including the mother of slain protester Rex Masai, Gillian Odawa, have urged the KNCHR to extend the submission timeline by at least 90 days. They demand a clearer roadmap for the stages of registration, verification, validation, and payment.
President Ruto has maintained that the administration aims to conclude the exercise by June, noting that the initiative is part of the 10-Point Agenda agreed upon between the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
