Ruto appoints panel to oversee protest victims’ compensation

President William Ruto has appointed an 18-member panel of experts to effect the implementation of a framework to compensate victims of demonstrations, public protests, and riots dating back to 2017. In a gazette notice signed by the head of public service, Felix Koskei, Professor Makau Mutua will chair the panel of experts. He will be deputized by LSK president Faith Odhiambo; others in the panel are Kennedy Ogeto, Amnesty International executive director Irungu Houghton, Dr. John Olukuru, father of Kennedy Barasa, Dr. Linda Musumba, Dr. Duncan Ojwang’, Naini Lankas, Dr. Francis Muraya, Juliet Chepkemei, Pius Metto, Fatuma Kinsi Abass, and Raphael Anampiu. Richard Barno and Dr. Duncan Ndeda will be the technical lead with Jerusah Mwaathime, and Dr. Raphael Ng’etich is serving as a joint secretary. The panel will design and establish an operational framework to verify, categorise, and compensate eligible victims. The panel is expected to prepare and submit to the president periodic progress reports and a final report within 120 days.