Prof. Makau Mutua apologises on behalf of Gov’t over Gen Z protest deaths, asks Kenyans to accept compensation

President William Ruto’s advisor on constitutional affairs and human rights, Prof. Makau Mutua, has issued a public apology on behalf of the government over the deaths and injuries witnessed during the recent historical Gen Z protests.

Speaking during Citizen TV’s JKLive show on Wednesday night, Prof. Mutua described the events of 2024 and 2025 as “dystopian,” saying the clashes between citizens and police were not what the Constitution envisioned.

The recently sworn-in Chairperson of the panel of experts on victims' compensation intimated that the government regrets the deadly outcome of the demonstrations.

“There is no doubt that 2024 and 2025 were marked by terrible events in this country. The scenes witnessed across the nation were nothing short of dystopian. We saw citizens and law enforcement clash in ways that are not intended by our Constitution,” he said.

“This is regrettable, and I think all of us - some of us are fathers, others are brothers - when we see these activities taking place, we hurt for our fellow citizens. We hurt for them. And we are humans. All of us are humans, and so I just want to say, on behalf of everyone in this country, that we are all sorry about what happened. It's a fact up to now. We are all sorry about what happened.”

On the question of reparations, which has recently caused uproar with a section of Kenyans opposing it, Prof. Mutua defended the government’s plan to offer compensation to victims and families, saying it forms part of the justice process.

“I think if you lost a loved one, you know how difficult that is. So all of us are sorry about it. And the way we respond to that kind of trauma and that kind of loss is to show that we care as a country. I think people have talked about that compensation should not be the first thing that we do. But you know very well that one of the most important things to a victim is to try to make them whole again in terms of what they have lost, in terms of income, in terms of their place in the economy,” he explained.

“And so the compensation that we are going to give will provide that. And I submit to you that that really is part of the justice matrix, to give someone something that can provide them a basis for getting up on their feet economically. It's very important.”

Prof. Mutua, at the same time, stressed that the government would ensure justice for those killed and also pursue accountability across both sides so that those found culpable face the law.

“I think investigations are being conducted as we speak, and as I said, where evidence warrants, we shall make referrals to the ODPP so that those individuals who committed those crimes can be brought to book,” he noted.

“And by the way, we are not simply talking about those who perpetrated heinous acts against civilians. We are also talking about holding accountable civilians who attacked law enforcement. We must be even-handed here, because I think both sides suffered some losses.”

The apology comes more than a year after nationwide Gen Z-led demonstrations sparked by the controversial Finance Bill 2024, which proposed sweeping tax increases on essential goods and services.

The bill triggered weeks of sustained protests in June and July, led largely by young Kenyans mobilised through social media.

What began as peaceful rallies against what was widely seen as a punitive tax regime soon escalated into violent confrontations, with security forces accused of using live bullets, abductions and arbitrary arrests to quell the unrest.

Rights groups estimate that hundreds of protesters were killed and others injured during the demonstrations in 2024, which forced President William Ruto to withdraw the controversial bill.