NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 8 – President William Ruto has announced that families of people whose bodies were recovered from River Yala will be included in the government’s compensation programme for victims of human rights violations. Breaking It Down Ruto said the programme, initially focused on victims of protests and demonstrations, would also cover families affected by enforced disappearances and other cases of alleged extrajudicial killings. The
10/08/26 • 177
NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 8 – President William Ruto has announced that families of people whose bodies were recovered from River Yala will be included in the government’s compensation programme for victims of human rights violations.
📻 Breaking It Down
Ruto said the programme, initially focused on victims of protests and demonstrations, would also cover families affected by enforced disappearances and other cases of alleged extrajudicial killings.
The President made the announcement on Wednesday during the handover and commissioning of the Raila Odinga mausoleum at Kang’o Ka Jaramogi in Bondo, Siaya County.
He said the move was in keeping with the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s longstanding campaign for justice and compensation for victims of political violence and human rights abuses.
📌 What You Need to Know
“We set aside Sh2 billion and hundreds of families have already been paid. We will not stop until every verified victim receives justice,” Ruto said.
He added: “This compensation will extend to the families of the many whose bodies were recovered here in River Yala and other victims of extrajudicial disappearance.”
The announcement marks a significant expansion of the compensation programme, which had largely focused on victims of protests and demonstrations.
The River Yala killings became a national human rights concern in 2021 and 2022 after residents began recovering bodies from the river in Siaya County.
Human rights groups said more than 30 bodies had been retrieved from the river, although the exact number varied between different agencies. Amnesty International said residents and human rights defenders had documented 31 bodies, while 21 were at the Yala mortuary and nine had been buried in a mass grave at the time of its January 2022 investigation.
The bodies were recovered from areas including Dhawa, Dhanu and the Falls, with some having apparently been in the river for varying periods. Amnesty said the bodies showed evidence of physical injuries and drowning, prompting calls for thorough investigations into how the victims died and how they ended up in the river.
📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya
