The High Court is set to rule on an application seeking to suspend the ongoing compensation process for victims of anti-government protests amid a dispute over the list of beneficiaries.
The application was filed by a group of victims challenging the exclusion of 35 victims of alleged abduction and enforced disappearance from the final list of those eligible for compensation. They argue that the individuals had already been verified and included in the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) register before it was submitted to the government-appointed Panel of Experts. According to KNCHR, 1,101 victims had initially been verified for compensation before the list was forwarded.
The petitioners accuse the Prof. Makau Mutua-led Panel of Experts of removing the 35 names without explanation. They are asking the court to compel the panel to disclose why the victims were excluded from the compensation programme.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has backed the application, saying it is unable to explain why the 35 verified victims were omitted from the final list presented for compensation.
The victims have also challenged the panel’s decision to admit more than 400 additional compensation claims after the deadline for submitting applications through KNCHR had lapsed. They argue that accepting the late claims undermines the integrity and fairness of the verification process.
Justice Gregory Mutai is expected to rule on whether the ongoing compensation process should be suspended pending the hearing and determination of the application filed by the petitioners.
