NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 13 – Victims of human rights violations have until April 3 to submit their claims for verification under a new reparations process being coordinated by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).
In a statement issued Friday, the commission urged individuals affected by past violations, particularly those linked to recent protests and demonstrations, to come forward with evidence supporting their claims.
The call follows a Presidential Proclamation and a Gazette Notice issued on March 6, 2026, directing the commission to develop a national framework for compensation and reparations within 60 days.
“The Commission has initiated internal technical work, begun mapping areas most affected by protest-related and other human rights violations, and started engaging key stakeholders so that a credible framework can be put in place to guide a transparent, accountable, and comprehensive reparations process,”stated the commission chairperson Claris Ongagah.
According to the commission, the initiative aims to provide redress to victims and families who have suffered loss, injuries and trauma arising from human rights abuses.
The process is also anchored in a High Court judgment delivered in December 2025 in Kerugoya, which affirmed the commission’s constitutional mandate to spearhead the development of a reparations framework.
KNHCR Chairperson said the proposed framework will adopt a human rights-based approach that goes beyond financial compensation.
Under the model, victims could benefit from several forms of redress including restitution, rehabilitation and official recognition of the violations they suffered.
The framework also proposes psychosocial and medical support for survivors, as well as public acknowledgments, apologies and memorialisation for victims. Institutional reforms aimed at preventing future violations will also form part of the proposals.
To qualify for consideration, applicants will be required to provide supporting documentation verifying the violations they experienced. These include medical reports, P3 forms, police occurrence book extracts and post-mortem reports in cases involving deaths.
Claims can be submitted through SMS to 22359, by email, or through the commission’s toll-free hotline. Victims may also present their documents at the commission’s offices in Nairobi and regional centres including Kitale, Kisumu, Mombasa, Nyahururu, Wajir, Kajiado, Isiolo and Garissa.
The commission, however, cautioned that the success of the reparations process will depend on adequate funding.
“The Commission urges Parliament and the National Treasury to urgently approve and disburse the requisite funds to enable the Commission to discharge this critical national function,”
“ The KNCHR reiterates its unwavering commitment to the rule of law, safeguarding human rights, and securing appropriate redress for all victims and survivors in line with international human rights principles and standards,”Ongagah said.
