Wamuzi News Ke
In a new setback to President William Ruto’s efforts to compensate victims of protests, the High Court has extended its conservatory orders, suspending the operations of the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests until October 21.
The ruling marks another judicial blow to the administration’s controversial mechanism, announced only months ago.The decision was handed down after petitioners challenged the panel’s legality and composition, arguing it breached constitutional safeguards and lacked sufficient transparency.
The court held that “interim orders have been extended until then, and then refers to October 21 at 10 am,” effectively placing the panel’s mandate on ice.
President Ruto had publicly launched the compensation mechanism in August, pledging that victims of police excesses and public protests would be issued redress. But the panel has since struggled with legal hurdles, boycotts, and allegations of procedural shortcuts.
This latest extension deepens uncertainty over whether compensation will ever reach victims, many of whom have waited months for reparations. Critics say the delay may be deliberate, giving the government cover to evade accountability on unrest and force control.
Legal observers warn that pushing forward prematurely could invite further lawsuits and constitutional challenges. For now, the panel sits immobilized — its future tied to the court’s October 21 hearing.
The stalemate raises pressing questions: can justice be delivered without the mechanisms to administer it? And will this pause turn into a shutdown? In Kenya’s politics of accountability, the waiting may be the real punishment.
