‘A Wolf Cannot Guard the Sheep’: Kalonzo, Wamalwa Call for Fair Protest Compensation

Remember the many Kenyans hurt during protests in recent years? Now, there is a big fight over who should pay these victims and how it should be done. Just one day after President William Ruto announced a plan to compensate families hurt since 2017, opposition leaders Kalonzo Musyoka and Eugene Wamalwa spoke out. They said they do not trust the government to handle this money or the process.

Kalonzo Musyoka, leader of the Wiper party, said the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) should be the one to handle compensation. He said the government, which gave orders for police to shoot during protests, cannot be trusted to pay victims.

“Through the shoot-to-kill and shoot-in-the-leg orders, can they be the ones responsible for redress and compensation of their own victims of police brutality?” Kalonzo asked.

He added a famous saying in Swahili:

“A wolf cannot decide the matters of cow crow. Fisi hawezi kusimamia kesi ya mbuzi.”

This means you cannot trust those who hurt you to also take care of your problems.

Eugene Wamalwa, leader of DAP-Kenya, agreed with Kalonzo. He said the rule of natural justice asks for fairness. “Victims cannot trust a process led by a presidential appointee whose loyalty is now to the state, the same state that was the aggressor in the Azimio protests 2023, Gen Z protests 2024 and the recent Saba Saba protests,” Wamalwa said. Both leaders want the KNCHR to lead the process because it is more independent and fair.

The opposition also criticized the role of Professor Makau Mutua, who President Ruto appointed to advise on the compensation framework. Kalonzo and Wamalwa want Prof. Mutua’s role suspended until a court decides if his appointment was legal. They said the government should be open and show the legal reasons for creating this new compensation plan. Wamalwa said, “The dangling of goodies has just started. Even this Prof. Mutua team is just one of the goodies to show that at least they want to compensate the victims. They might not.”

Kalonzo and Wamalwa also said the government has no clear budget to pay victims. Kalonzo said, “You cannot wake up and say you will compensate Kenyans Ksh.100,000.” He added that the money given should be more than just small amounts — it must punish those who caused harm. They want a clear plan that includes victims’ views on how much compensation is fair and who should receive it.

The protest victims they speak for come from many demonstrations. These include protests linked to Azimio, Gen Z youth, and the recent Saba Saba protests. In these protests, many Kenyans were hurt or killed by police forces. Kalonzo and Wamalwa believe the government, which ordered police to use force, cannot also be the one to pay compensation. That would not be fair or right.

Despite these strong criticisms, President William Ruto got some political support. ODM leader Raila Odinga hinted he might back Ruto in the 2027 elections.

Featured image via Screengrab