Protest Victims Go After Govt Over Compensation, Threaten New Demos

Jukwaa

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

They have warned that if their concerns are not addressed, they will stage protests at the commission’s headquarters.

“If the government does not answer our questions, we will strike inside the headquarters of the KNCHR. We will move there as all the victims and survivors,” said Frederick Ojiro, a human rights defender.

The affected, speaking through the Mathare Social Justice Centre, claim that some of the compensation standards set by KNCHR and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) have made it difficult for many affected Kenyans to qualify for compensation.

📌 What You Need to Know

They say that despite possessing medical records and other documents showing injuries sustained during the protests, they have not received any information about whether they will be compensated and fear they have been excluded.

The victims say they have evidence of injuries caused by tear gas canisters, police whips and bullets, but have struggled to meet requirements such as producing witnesses, with many fearing retaliation from law enforcement officers.

“I have the things they are asking for, but I am not able to produce a witness. Many times, when I went to make a report to IPOA and asked those who helped to move me from the scene to the hospital, they refused, raising concerns about police coming after them,” said Anthony Wesonga, a victim.

The group further alleges that some police stations refused to record complaints at the time of the incidents, undermining efforts to gather evidence and potentially excluding victims from the final compensation list.

According to KNCHR, nearly 2,000 compensation claims were documented, including 1,022 submitted through IPOA.

Of the claims received, 1,101 were reportedly approved for compensation, with violations ranging from the right to life and freedom from torture to sexual violence and enforced disappearances.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke

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