Senior Advisor on Constitutional Affairs to President William Ruto, Professor Makau Mutua, has defended Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga’s cooperation with the head of state.

Speaking on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, during an interview with a local TV station, Mutua, who was recently appointed as the chairperson of President Ruto’s Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Protests, said the partnership is meant to stabilise the country and should not be condemned.

2022 election

He argued that the 2022 election was concluded, and it was only logical for the opposition to engage with the Head of State in the interest of national unity.

“The election was finished, we engaged with the President, and we decided to help him run the country as a political formation in Azimio. We came on board, and we are helping him run the country, and there is nothing wrong with that,” he said.

Mutua went ahead to praise the first in command, saying that President Ruto has shown openness to dialogue.

“The choice of working with him is not something anyone should condemn. The President listens to advice because I have sat with him many times,” he said.

Protest victims’ compensation panel

While addressing his role as the chairperson of Ruto’s Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Protests, Makau 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.