Faith Odhiambo Steps Down from Protests Victims Compensation Committee
LSK President Faith Odhiambo has resigned from the Panel of Experts on Compensation for Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests where she was the vice chairperson.
In a statement on Monday, Odhiambo said her decision comes at a critical moment for Kenya’s constitutional and democratic development. She noted that the courts have suspended the panel’s mandate and therefore its work has come to a halt.
According to Odhiambo, the 120-day period given to the panel to operate is likely to expire before the court cases are resolved and therefore its work is impossible to complete within the timeframe.
“I have today handed in my formal and immediate resignation as Vice Chairperson of the Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests to the Head of Public Service,” Odhiambo said.
The LSK boss said institutions mandated to uphold the rule of law must remain steadfast and united in their constitutional duties. She regretted that despite the urgency of their work, the panel could not meet with victims due to the ongoing court case.
“Unfortunately it’s not possible to achieve the time sensitive milestones I undertook to achieve and I must therefore prioritize other avenues of responding to the plight of victims through the other positions I hold especially as President of the Law Society of Kenya,” she added.
Even as she stepped down, Odhiambo reaffirmed her commitment to defending the rights of victims of police brutality and getting them justice.
“My commitment to agitate for the rights of victims remains unshakeable; I will continue to take up and prosecute matters on behalf of victims of police brutality during demonstrations,” she said.
Odhiambo also called for urgent reforms to Kenya’s victim reparations framework saying it is incomplete and inadequate to address the needs of victims. She urged stakeholders in the justice system and human rights institutions to propose new laws that will streamline compensation and rehabilitation processes.
She said we must shift from the long pursuit of criminal liability to a more efficient victim centered approach that restores dignity and supports rehabilitation.
“We must treat reparations for victims with the same seriousness we treat repercussions for perpetrators,” she said.
Her resignation comes after a High Court in Kirinyaga temporarily suspended the government’s framework for compensating victims of protests.On September 8, Justice Magare Dennis Kizito issued conservatory orders stopping the panel from starting work after activist Levi Munyuki filed an application challenging the legality of the whole process.
The court stopped the panel from commencing its work and suspended Gazette Notice No. 12002 of August 23, 2025 which had established the panel. It also stopped the enforcement of President William Ruto’s proclamation of August 6, 2025 which created the compensation framework.
President Ruto had appointed an 18 member panel on August 25, 2025 to oversee compensation for victims of protests since 2017.
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Faith Odhiambo Steps Down from Protests Victims Compensation Committee