NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 6 – Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo has resigned as Vice Chairperson of the government’s Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests, citing stalled operations and the need to focus on broader justice reforms.
Odhiambo in a statement on Monday said she had formally and immediately tendered her resignation to the Head of Public Service, noting that the panel’s work had been halted by court orders and was unlikely to meet its 120-day mandate before expiry.
“While the clock runs down on the Panel’s lifetime, victims continue to reach out in frustration. It is not feasible to achieve the time-sensitive milestones I undertook to deliver,” Odhiambo stated.
She added that her decision was informed by the urgency to respond to victims’ plight through other platforms, particularly the LSK, where she pledged to continue pursuing justice for victims of police brutality during demonstrations.
Odhiambo emphasized that the LSK would engage justice stakeholders and human rights institutions to develop legislative proposals aimed at reforming Kenya’s victim reparations framework.
She said the society’s focus would be on shifting from punitive measures against perpetrators to a victim-centered approach that restores dignity and rehabilitation.
“We must treat reparations for victims with the same seriousness with which we treat repercussions for perpetrators,” she said.
The LSK President also outlined immediate steps, including petitioning Parliament to strengthen laws protecting demonstrators, urging the Chief Justice to fast-track court cases involving police excesses, and memorializing victims of state violence.
Odhiambo, who was appointed to the panel in August, said her resignation comes at a “consequential moment” for Kenya’s democracy, stressing the need for rule of law institutions to remain unified and resolute.
“My commitment to agitate for victims’ rights remains impregnable,” she affirmed, adding that LSK advocates were already in court representing victims of the 2023 cost-of-living protests.
The panel, established by the Head of Public Service in August 2025, was tasked with reviewing frameworks for compensating victims of demonstrations and police excesses, a move that sparked mixed reactions from civil society and political players.
