Almost 20 years after the 2007–2008 post-election violence upended their lives, more than 6,000 families say the pain has never really ended. They are still waiting for compensation they were promised and for a government that, they say, has listened but never acted.
Under the banner of the IDP Supportive Initiative (IDPSI), the families have now turned to President William Ruto, asking him to personally step in and resolve a matter that has dragged on for nearly two decades. At stake is Ksh6 billion set aside in the 2016/2017 national budget to compensate victims of the violence that killed more than 1,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.
On Tuesday, January 6, 2025, survivors from five counties gathered in Nairobi for an event they named “IDP for ICC”, hoping once again that their voices would be heard.
“We have suffered for a very long time,” one petitioner said quietly. “We submitted our names to State House in 2008. Today, our children are grown, some are out of school, and still nothing has come.”
The compensation fund exists on paper, but its release has been stalled for years, caught up in court cases, policy shifts and bureaucratic delays. Although the High Court later recommended an out-of-court settlement, the process stalled around 2010 and never moved forward in a meaningful way.
For many families, the wait has been devastating. Some lost homes and land. Others lost breadwinners. Many say poverty, trauma and displacement became permanent features of their lives.
The violence erupted after the disputed 2007 presidential election between then-President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga. International observers questioned the credibility of the results, triggering unrest across the country. By the time calm was restored, at least 1,133 people were dead and hundreds of thousands had been forced from their homes.
Since then, compensation efforts have been uneven. There was a rare moment of progress in July 2025, when the government paid Ksh16 million to four survivors of sexual and gender-based violence linked to the chaos. But for most victims, that payment only highlighted how many remain forgotten.
“Our children missed school because we had nothing,” another survivor said. “Some of us are old now. Some are sick. We don’t know how long we can keep waiting.”
The families say they are not asking for favours only for what was promised to them by the State. As they once again petition President Ruto, they hope his intervention will finally bring an end to a long chapter of silence, delay and unfulfilled commitments.
For many of them, compensation is not just about money. It is about recognition, dignity and the chance to rebuild lives that were broken nearly two decades ago.