Faith Odhiambo resigns from victims’ compensation panel
By Paulette Mboga, October 6, 2025Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo has resigned from her position as Vice Chairperson of the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests.
In her statement on Monday, October 6, 2025, Odhiambo said she decided after assessing the challenges facing the panel and the slow progress caused by ongoing court cases.
Her resignation comes after the court suspended the panel’s operations over a legality row.
She explained that while the panel had a 120-day mandate, its operations had been halted by the courts, making it impossible to achieve its objectives within the limited time left.
Odhiambo, who was appointed to the position when the panel was formed on August 25, 2025, said her resignation was immediate and had already been communicated to the Head of Public Service.
She said the panel’s creation had given her hope for real change in how victims of police excesses and state overreach are treated in Kenya, but the current circumstances had made it difficult to deliver meaningful results.
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Need for stronger legal reforms
Odhiambo noted that her resignation was guided by her commitment to protect the independence of the Law Society of Kenya and uphold the rule of law. She said her oath of office as LSK President demanded that she focus on strengthening institutions that promote justice and unity.
According to her, the ongoing frustrations of victims who continue to seek help despite the stalled panel process pushed her to take this step. She said she will now prioritise handling victims’ cases through the LSK and other legal channels available.
She said the need for urgent reform of Kenya’s victim reparations framework, which she described as weak and ineffective. Odhiambo said the LSK will work with human rights organisations and justice sector stakeholders to propose laws that make compensation processes faster and more humane.
Odhiambo outlined four key goals that she intends to pursue through the LSK: identifying and honouring victims, ensuring faster court hearings for their cases, tracking reported incidents to guarantee justice, and pushing Parliament to create stronger laws protecting demonstrators.
“May justice remain our shield and defender,” she concluded.