Orengo questions Ksh2 B protest compensation plan, says lives lost were worth more
By Mustafa Juma, May 23, 2026Siaya Governor James Orengo has criticised the Ksh2 billion compensation plan for victims of the 2024 anti-government protests, arguing that the proposed payouts do not reflect the magnitude of the lives lost and the suffering endured by affected families.
Speaking during an interview on Obinna Show Live on the night of Friday, May 22, 2026, hours after visiting the family of slain protester Rex Maasai in Machakos County, Orengo said justice must come before compensation.
Orengo praised Rex Maasai’s parents for prioritising accountability over financial settlement, saying the family had made it clear that those responsible for the killing must first face the law.
“I like the strength of Rex Maasai’s parents, and they were saying, yes, proper, fair, and adequate compensation they will accept, but first, they want justice,” Orengo said.
According to him, justice means identifying and punishing those responsible for protest-related deaths.
“Justice to them means those responsible should face the law and should be punished by the law. I agree with them,” he added.
Questions over compensation formula
Orengo also questioned the structure of the reported Ksh2 billion compensation package, arguing that a blanket compensation approach undermines the value of the lives lost during the demonstrations.
He claimed the proposed amount could translate to less than Ksh1 million per deceased victim if distributed across all affected cases, excluding property damage and other losses.
“But it should not be this kind of generalised compensation. Because we are told there is Ksh2 billion for everybody, and that to me works out if all goes right to about just under Ksh1 million for every death,” he said.
The veteran politician emotionally reflected on the loss of young protesters, saying many of them still had decades of life ahead of them.
“The young man was hardly 24 years old to be compensated Ksh1 million when he could have lived another 60 years. It is tragic; it shouldn’t have been that way,” Orengo stated.
Protests victims’ compensation framework
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has identified at least 1,224 victims of human rights violations, including those linked to protests and demonstrations, as it develops a national compensation and reparations framework.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, the Commission said the victims’ list is currently undergoing verification and will form part of a comprehensive report to be submitted to President William Ruto within 60 days, as directed under Gazette Notice No. 3114 of March 6, 2026.
According to KNCHR, the victims fall under multiple categories of gross human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, torture, abductions, enforced disappearances, evictions, and sexual and gender-based violence, as well as loss of property and livelihoods.
The directive from President Ruto required the Commission to deliver the reparations framework within a strict 60-day timeline.