Willis: Police brutality victims deserve full compensation
By Sharon Atieno, July 7, 2026Lawyer Willis Otieno has called for tougher accountability against rogue police officers, insisting that every victim of police brutality must receive full compensation while officers responsible for violating constitutional rights face personal legal consequences.
In a statement shared on his X account on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, Otieno argued that a recent court judgment should become the benchmark for handling all future cases involving police abuse, saying justice must go beyond symbolic awards and be applied equally to every Kenyan.
Officers must be personally accountable
Otieno maintained that police officers who assault civilians, unlawfully detain suspects or violate constitutional rights should bear personal responsibility for their actions instead of escaping accountability through institutional protection.
“This judgment should set the standard for every case of police brutality. Any officer who assaults, unlawfully detains, or violates a citizen’s constitutional rights must be held personally accountable, and victims must receive full compensation,” he stated.
He added that the rule of law must apply uniformly regardless of an individual’s social or political status.
“Justice must not depend on who you are; it must be the rule,” Otieno said.
Calls for justice beyond compensation
His remarks come amid growing national debate over compensation for victims of police violence following the government’s commitment to compensate those affected during the 2024 and 2025 anti-government protests.
Last month, human rights activists and survivors of police brutality welcomed the compensation pledge but insisted that financial payments alone cannot deliver justice.
Speaking during a press briefing in Kisumu, Convener of the Social Justice Centres Working Group, Western Kenya, Collins K’Odhek, said compensation should be accompanied by prosecution of perpetrators, institutional reforms and guarantees that similar abuses will never recur.
“We acknowledge the President’s commitment to compensate victims, but compensation alone is not enough. Justice must include accountability, prosecution of perpetrators, and guarantees that such violations will never happen again,” K’Odhek said.
Pressure mounts for legal reforms
Activists have also demanded full implementation of the Victim Protection Act, establishment of the Victim Protection Fund and greater transparency in identifying beneficiaries of compensation.
Survivors and rights groups argue that families affected by police violence during earlier periods, including the 2007 and 2017 election cycles, should also receive justice and reparations.
Otieno’s latest remarks add momentum to calls for stronger police accountability, with rights defenders maintaining that compensation must be accompanied by criminal responsibility for officers found guilty of violating citizens’ constitutional rights.