Kalonzo opposes govt’s handling of protest victims’ payout
By William Muthama, August 9, 2025Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka openly rejected the government’s framework for compensating victims of protests dating back to 2017, calling into question the credibility and impartiality of the process.
Speaking during a press conference on Saturday, August 9, 2025, he insisted that the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) should take charge of the compensation, accusing the Executive of bias and lack of trustworthiness.
Kalonzo, together with his DAP-Kenya counterpart Eugene Wamalwa, expressed doubts about the involvement of Makau Mutua in the compensation plan, demanding his immediate suspension. The opposition leaders argue that the current framework lacks transparency and a clear legal foundation.
“Through the shoot-to-kill and shoot-in-the-leg orders, can they be the ones responsible for redress and compensation of their own victims of police brutality? A wolf cannot decide the matters of the cow. Fisi hawezi kusimamia kesi ya mbuzi,” Kalonzo stated emphatically, underscoring the inherent conflict of interest in the government-led process.
Echoing the call for fairness, Wamalwa added, “The rule of natural justice demands impartiality. Victims cannot trust a process led by a presidential appointee whose loyalty is now to the state, the same state that was the aggressor in the Azimio protests 2023, Gen Z protests 2024 and the recent Saba Saba protests.”
The opposition is pushing for a comprehensive and inclusive approach, with a committee that engages victims and stakeholders to determine the scope and scale of compensation. Kalonzo highlighted the absence of a dedicated budget for payouts and insisted that compensation should be punitive and hold perpetrators accountable.
“We will make sure that these Kenyans are compensated. By the way, there is no budgetary allocation. You cannot wake up and say you will compensate Kenyans Ksh.100,000. The amount they will have to pay will have to be punitive, including those who committed these atrocities,” Kalonzo said.
Wamalwa warned against government tactics to placate victims without genuine commitment: “The dangling of goodies has just started. Even this Prof. Mutua team is just one of the goodies to show that at least they want to compensate the victims. They might not.”