Victims of human rights violations, including those linked to demonstrations and public protests, could soon benefit from a dedicated Reparations Fund under a government-backed proposal.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Details contained in a Compensation Framework Communication Guideline document shared exclusively with Kenyans.co.ke shows that the proposed fund is intended to provide a predictable and sustainable system for compensating affected individuals.

The guidelines state that the initiative is aimed at addressing gaps in previous compensation efforts, particularly delays in payouts, amid intensified calls for pending reparations from victims of past protest-related incidents and rights groups.

“Previous compensation efforts and recommendations, including those arising from historical injustices, have often been delayed or undermined by inadequate and inconsistent financing,” the document read.

📌 What You Need to Know

Under the proposal, Parliament would be required to establish a permanent, ring-fenced Reparations Fund through legislation, with the National Treasury tasked with allocating and releasing funds for its implementation.

The fund is expected to be created alongside a proposed Reparations Act that will provide the legal framework for its administration and long-term operation.

The proposed Reparations Fund is drawn from recommendations by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) in a report on the development of a framework for reparations for violations, including those arising from protests and demonstrations.

The report was submitted to President William Ruto on June 15, proposing the enactment of a Reparations Act to establish both the fund and an independent institution to handle its administration.

KNCHR recommended that the fund be financed through annual allocations from the National Treasury, supplemented by grants, donations and other approved sources to ensure predictable financing for compensation and related support programmes.

In addition, the recommendations outlined broader measures such as prioritising vulnerable victims, expediting investigations into protest-related violations, prosecution of perpetrators, and reviewing cases involving individuals arrested in the context of exercising constitutional rights .

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke