Makau Mutua says Ruto’s compensation panel seeks to cool temperatures
By Mustafa Juma, September 10, 2025The chairperson of President William Ruto’s Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Protests, Makau Mutua, has stated that his panel is focused on cooling down the temperatures in the country.
Speaking on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, during an interview with a local TV station, Mutua 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.
Ruto’s compensation panel
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.”
Protests victims
Amnesty International and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights have documented more than 180 protest-related deaths since 2017, including 63 during the 2024 Gen Z protests and 38 this year alone.
Families at the KICC event demanded transparency, while lawyer Gitobu Imanyara branded the initiative a diversion from international scrutiny.