President William Ruto has announced that families of people whose bodies were recovered from River Yala will be considered for compensation.
Ruto said the programme will also cover victims of enforced disappearances and killings as the government seeks to address cases linked to past protests and other incidents.
Speaking during the handover of the Raila Odinga Mausoleum in Bondo on Wednesday, October 7, Ruto said the government had set aside Ksh2 billion to compensate victims of protests that occurred between 2013 and 2025.
He said hundreds of families had already received payments, but the programme would continue until all verified victims and their families are compensated.
“Raila pursued electoral justice with great passion. That pursuit gave birth to the compensation of victims of protests. We set aside Ksh2 billion, and hundreds of families have been compensated, and we will not stop until every verified victim receives justice,” Ruto said.
The President said the compensation would now extend to families whose relatives’ bodies were recovered from River Yala, as well as victims of extrajudicial disappearances.
“This compensation will extend to the families whose bodies we recovered in River Yala and other victims of extrajudicial disappearance,” he added.
Several bodies were recovered from River Yala between 2021 and 2022, leading to allegations of abductions, torture and extrajudicial killings.
Some of the bodies were believed to be those of Kenyans who held political views opposed to the government at the time. However, the allegations have not been independently verified.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has denied responsibility for the alleged killings and has previously called for an inquiry into the River Yala deaths.
Matiang’i recently challenged Ruto to establish a commission of inquiry into the matter, saying he was ready to appear before it and give his account.
Ruto’s announcement comes as some protest victims continue to raise concerns about the compensation process, with some saying they have been left out.
So far, the compensation panel has paid Ksh1 billion to 1,083 protest victims.
