National Assembly Minority Leader Junet Mohamed has defended the government’s plan to compensate victims of political violence and questioned critics within ODM who have opposed the allocation of KSh2 billion for the exercise.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, June 22, 2026, Junet accused some ODM members of abandoning a long-standing party position that has consistently demanded compensation for victims of post-election and protest-related violence.
The Suna East MP argued that ODM has, since 2007, championed justice and compensation for Kenyans who suffered deaths, injuries, displacement and destruction of property during periods of political unrest.
“ODM Party since 2007 has always maintained that victims of post-election and protest-related violence be compensated for their losses even as justice is pursued to bring perpetrators to book,” Junet said.
According to the Minority Leader, the party continued pushing for compensation even after the 2018 Handshake between former President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
He noted that ODM repeatedly demanded compensation for victims of the 2013 and 2017 post-election violence, but those efforts did not yield results.
“Even after the 2018 Handshake, we spent considerable time demanding the state compensates the victims of the 2013 and 2017 post-poll violence. Needless to say, the government never compensated the victims,” he stated.
Junet said the issue was revisited following the formation of the broad-based government arrangement in 2024, with ODM leaders pushing for compensation to cover victims affected by political violence between 2007 and 2024.
He claimed that for the first time, the government had shown willingness to compensate victims while investigations and prosecutions of those responsible continued.
“After the formation of the broad-based government, we renewed calls for compensation to cover the prior years, as well as 2023 and 2024. This time round, the state showed willingness to compensate in the first instance, even as it pursues the perpetrators,” he said.
The lawmaker took issue with those insisting that compensation should only be paid after all perpetrators are prosecuted, arguing that such a position would effectively deny victims justice and relief.
“Those today claiming the compensation of victims must only come after the perpetrators have been prosecuted are merely saying they do not want the victims to be compensated at all,” Junet said.
In a direct swipe at dissenting voices within ODM, he questioned why some leaders who previously advocated for compensation had suddenly changed their position.
“Majority of these people, particularly the ODM rebels without a cause, were at the forefront in demanding compensation — so much so they were threatening to pull the party out of government. What changed?” he posed.
Junet further argued that compensation and accountability should not be viewed as mutually exclusive, maintaining that victims deserve immediate support even as legal processes continue.
“It cannot be that in our country, the endless suffering of our people continues being used as the main currency to transact national politics,” he said.
The Minority Leader pointed to past government interventions, including land purchases for internally displaced persons (IDPs), arguing that such measures were widely accepted as forms of compensation despite ongoing calls for justice.
“The buying of land to resettle IDPs was a form of compensation that no one opposed; was justice irrelevant then?” he asked.
According to Junet, thousands of families affected by political violence over nearly two decades continue to carry the burden of loss, injury and displacement and deserve closure.
“From 2007 to date, there are families who’ve suffered immensely and deserve a measure of closure on the lifelong injuries, crimes against the person, deaths and destruction they endured,” he said.
He described compensation as part of restorative justice and insisted that supporting victims remains consistent with ODM’s historical position.
“Restorative justice is justice too. A true ODM leader cannot oppose compensation of the party supporters and other innocent Kenyans who suffered political violence during our long years of protests,” Junet added.
The legislator revealed that KSh2 billion had been allocated in the 2026/27 financial year budget to compensate victims and encouraged affected individuals and families to begin the process of seeking assistance.
“We allocated in the FY2026/27 budget the sum of KSh2 billion to compensate victims and I urge families and individuals who suffered in the past protests to reach out to the nearest KNHRC offices,” he said.
His remarks come amid growing political debate over the compensation programme, with supporters describing it as a long-overdue measure for victims while critics question the timing, criteria and implementation of the initiative.
As discussions continue, the compensation plan is emerging as another flashpoint within ODM and the broader political landscape, exposing divisions over how best to balance accountability, justice and support for victims of political violence.
