By Erestinah Jane, June 29, 2026
Victims seeking compensation for injuries, deaths or property losses suffered during protests and riots between 2013 and 2025 will be required to provide credible evidence directly linking their claims to the demonstrations, the chairperson of the Protest Victims Compensation Panel, Prof. Makau Mutua, has announced.
Prof. Mutua said the independent panel will only consider claims supported by verifiable documentation, as it embarks on the process of compensating individuals affected during political protests and civil unrest over the past 12 years.
He explained that applicants will be required to demonstrate a direct causal connection between the protests and the losses they suffered. Supporting documents may include medical reports for those who sustained injuries, post-mortem reports for families seeking compensation for deceased relatives, police reports, business records, insurance assessments or property valuation reports for damaged or destroyed assets.
According to the panel, only incidents that occurred between the 2013 General Election and the 2025 anti-government demonstrations will qualify for consideration under the compensation programme.
Prof. Mutua noted that the verification exercise has been designed to ensure that public funds are awarded only to genuine victims and to safeguard the integrity of the compensation process.
The claims will be processed through a three-phase evaluation system beginning with the submission of applications through a digital compensation portal that will be launched by the government.
During the first phase, applicants will upload copies of their national identification documents together with all relevant supporting evidence relating to their claims.
The second phase will involve a comprehensive review by the panel’s legal and medical sub-committees, which will independently verify documents, examine the circumstances surrounding each claim and determine whether the losses were directly linked to the protests.
Cases that require further clarification will proceed to the third phase, where selected applicants will appear before the panel to provide oral testimony and respond to questions regarding disputed or complex claims.
The Protest Victims Compensation Panel was established following a government directive to address historical grievances arising from police action, injuries, deaths and destruction of property during public demonstrations over the last decade.
The initiative is intended to provide redress to innocent civilians who suffered losses while exercising their constitutional rights or whose businesses and livelihoods were affected during periods of civil unrest.
The National Treasury has already set aside an initial compensation fund to facilitate payments to successful applicants once the verification process is completed.
Priority will be given to non-combatant civilians injured during protests, families who lost breadwinners, and small business owners whose premises were looted, vandalized or destroyed during demonstrations.
Prof. Mutua urged prospective applicants to gather all relevant documentation in readiness for the opening of the compensation portal, emphasizing that incomplete or unsubstantiated claims may not qualify for compensation.
He said the panel remains committed to conducting a transparent, fair and independent process that balances accountability with justice for victims who suffered losses during some of the country’s most turbulent periods of political unrest.
