President William Ruto on Wednesday pledged compensation for families of victims of extrajudicial killings, including bodies recovered from River Yala, reviving one of the most disturbing chapters of Kenya’s recent human rights record.
Ruto said the government had set aside Sh2 billion to compensate victims of human rights violations, including families affected by extrajudicial disappearances and killings.
The President linked the compensation programme to the legacy of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, saying the late opposition chief had consistently pushed for justice for victims of state violence.
“Raila pursued justice and compensation for victims of protests. We have set Sh2 billion, and hundreds of families have already been paid. This compensation will extend to the families of the many whose bodies were recovered in River Yala and other victims of extrajudicial disappearance,” the President said in Kang’o kajaRamogi on Wednesday.
The pledge is likely to reopen painful memories for families associated with the River Yala deaths, whose cases became a major human rights concern during the tenure of Fred Matiang’i as Interior Cabinet Secretary.
Scores of bodies were recovered from the River Yala over the years, with families and human rights organisations raising questions over the circumstances surrounding the deaths and the identities of those responsible.
The discoveries triggered public outrage and renewed calls for investigations into allegations of enforced disappearances, torture and extrajudicial killings.
Ruto’s commitment comes as his administration seeks to position itself as responsive to long-standing grievances over human rights violations, particularly those involving victims of political protests and alleged state excesses.
The President said the compensation programme would cover families whose relatives disappeared or died under circumstances that have remained unresolved.
