Makau Mutua accuses opposition of hypocrisy over victims’ compensation panel
By Mustafa Juma, September 11, 2025Senior Advisor to President William Ruto on Constitutional Affairs, Professor Makau Mutua, has accused the United Opposition of hypocrisy over the government’s move to compensate victims of recent protests.
Speaking on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, during an interview with a local TV station, Mutua said that for the last two years, there had been a national consensus on the need to support families who lost loved ones, breadwinners, and property during protests.
“I think there are individuals who are trying to turn what we are doing into a political football. For the last two years, since these demos began, there has been a national consensus across the country that victims must be compensated,” Mutua said.
He faulted opposition leaders who had previously demanded compensation but are now questioning the legitimacy of the initiative.
“It looks to me to be quite hypocritical that the same people who have been calling for compensation, especially in the United Opposition, are now turning around to say that this effort is not genuine,” he added.
Makau Mutua defends Ruto
Mutua also defended President Ruto, saying the establishment of the compensation panel was a direct response to the cries of Kenyans affected by political unrest.
“The President, in establishing our panel, is rightfully responding to the cries of the people,” he said.
Mutua is the chairperson of President Ruto’s Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Protests.
President Ruto appointed Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo as vice-chairperson of the 15-member Panel of Experts tasked with fast-tracking the compensation of victims of public protests since 2017.
The panel’s launch at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Thursday, September 2025, was described by Mutua as a “historic, unprecedented, and bold step.”
Cooling political temperatures
Speaking during the same interview, Mutua stated that his panel is focused on cooling down the temperatures in the country.
He said the head of state’s newly established panel is also focused on supporting victims of recent demonstrations in the country.
Mutua further noted that Kenya’s constitution, now 15 years old, is still in its formative years, with citizens learning to exercise freedoms such as the right to speak and associate.
He described the violence witnessed in the past two years as regrettable, saying many families had lost loved ones, children, and breadwinners.
“The performance of democracy is a very difficult thing. I said when we were speaking at KICC during the Katiba Day that our constitution is only 15 years of age. We are learning how to perform, particularly the right to speak and the right to associate. It is a complex process for us to master this ritual of democracy. What we have seen over the last two years and the first part of this year is regrettable. What my panel seeks to do, first, is to cool down temperatures in the country because people have lost loved ones, children, and breadwinners,” Makau Mutua said.