Siaya Governor James Orengo has strongly criticized the government’s proposed Ksh2 billion compensation framework for victims of recent protests, arguing that it reduces human life and constitutional rights to a financial calculation.

In a detailed statement issued on Tuesday, Orengo accused the Ruto administration of normalising state violence rather than preventing it, saying the reparations programme risks shifting focus away from accountability and justice.

He argued that the compensation plan appears to be a rushed response aimed at managing public anger following deaths and injuries linked to demonstrations around the Gen Z memorial on 25 June 2026, rather than addressing the root causes of the violations.

According to Orengo, the proposal sends a dangerous message that violations of constitutional rights under Article 37 can be met with excessive force and later settled through payment. He warned that such an approach could weaken the urgency to prevent future abuses.

“The State should not be permitted to treat compensation as a substitute for accountability,” he said, adding that without investigations, arrests and prosecutions, reparations risk legitimising excessive use of force.

The governor further questioned the proposal to compensate families of those killed during protests at a minimum of Ksh2.5 million, arguing that human life cannot be reduced to an administrative formula.

“What message does this send to the families of victims and future generations?” he posed, insisting that life is invaluable and cannot be quantified.

Orengo also cautioned that the framework risks creating a precedent where state violations are treated as financial liabilities rather than constitutional breaches requiring justice and institutional reform.

He warned against what he termed a “dangerous formula” of “shoot, kill, compensate, move on,” stressing that compensation alone cannot replace accountability.

The governor maintained that any reparations programme must be preceded by thorough investigations, identification of perpetrators, prosecution where necessary, and broader reforms to prevent recurrence.

He concluded that Kenyans are not demanding payment in place of rights, but rather the protection of those rights, emphasizing that constitutional freedoms should never be reduced to a compensation schedule.