Senior Adviser on Constitutional Affairs to President of Kenya, Prof. Makau Mutua, has told off opposition leaders Kalonzo Musyoka and Eugene Wamalwa for opposing the government’s proposal to compensate protest victims.
In a statement on Sunday August 10, 2025, Mutua noted that their opposition for compensation is cynical and driven by nothing but their greed for power.
“The Government of the Republic of Kenya under the leadership of President William Ruto will compensate the victims of protests and riots from January 1, 2017 to July 31, 2025. It’s the right and noble thing for the government to do for the victims, their families, and loved ones,” he stated.
“I see some rich and powerful politicians together with their acolytes opposing compensation, which ironically they have been calling for,” he added.
According to him, the opposition leaders fear that this noble act by the government will heal the nation to the credit of President Ruto.
“They hate the President so much that they would rather deny victims and their families recompense to ease their pain and bring a measure of justice.
“This is playing cruel and callous politics with our vulnerable citizens. I say this to Kalonzo Musyoka, Eugene Wamalwa and Kivutha Kibwana — stop the hypocrisy and toying with the emotions of victims and their families,” he noted.
He advised them that their beef with the government and lust for power shouldn’t blind them to the suffering of the victims.
“An executive order or proclamation to set up the compensation mechanism perfectly comports with the 2010 constitution and its Bill of Rights. It’s a universally accepted legal device to do so,” Mutua explained.
He urged Musyoka and Wamalwa to find a better argument to oppose the noble efforts to heal the nation.
His remarks came after the two opposition leaders said the framework led by Mutua was unconstitutional and against the spirit of natural justice.
“After 3 years of abductions, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings of our youth, a compensation framework is suddenly set up to try and appease the grieving families in total violation of our constitution and principles of Natural Justice,” Wamalwa said.
This was after President Ruto on August 8 announced the establishment of the national framework to coordinate compensation for victims of demonstrations and public protests held since 2017.
The initiative, unveiled through a presidential proclamation will provide reparations for civilians and security personnel who suffered bodily harm or lost their lives during protests and riots.
