Siaya Governor James Orengo has criticised the proposed Ksh2 billion reparations programme for victims of protests, saying the government’s push to operationalise it has been rushed.

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In a press statement released on Tuesday, June 16, Orengo suggested the compensation’s timing is aimed at managing public outrage over deaths and injuries linked to demonstrations ahead of the upcoming Gen Z memorial scheduled for June 25.

“The rush to operationalise the framework is a rushed attempt to manage public outrage over deaths and injuries associated with demonstrations in few days following to the Gen Z Memorial on 25th June 2026,” he wrote.

Further, Orengo questioned the proposed compensation structure, including a reported minimum payout of Ksh2.5 million for a life lost during protests, saying it risks normalising state violence rather than preventing it.

📌 What You Need to Know

“If deaths and injuries resulting from demonstrations can be settled through predetermined compensation, the urgency to prevent such violations diminishes. As long as there is no accountability by arrest and prosecution of the offenders, the reparations programs only exists to legitimise the use of excessive force by attaching a financial cost to human life,” he added.

Orengo insisted that constitutional rights under Article 37 must be protected first, rather than compensated after alleged violations occur.

“The concern among many Kenyans is that the proposal translates into a disturbing formula: Shoot. Kill. Compensate. Move on,” he stated.

The governor argued that the reparations programme places emphasis on compensation instead of investigations, prosecutions and institutional reforms.

Orengo warned that focusing on compensation without accountability risks weakening efforts to prevent future incidents involving excessive force during demonstrations.

“That is not justice. It is merely accounting. Compensation is one aspect of justice, not justice itself. Before any award is made, there must be proper investigations, identification of perpetrators, prosecution where criminal conduct is established and institutional reforms to prevent recurrence,” he wrote.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke