After weeks of growing public pressure, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo has officially resigned as Vice Chair of the government-appointed Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests.

In a statement shared on Monday, Odhiambo confirmed that she had tendered her “formal and immediate resignation” to the Head of Public Service. She cited the need to protect the independence and unity of the Law Society of Kenya, especially as the panel continues to face ongoing legal and constitutional hurdles.

The panel was created through a Kenya Gazette notice issued on August 25, with a mandate to recommend compensation for victims of police brutality and violence during the youth-led anti-government demonstrations held in 2023 and 2024. The protests resulted in the deaths of more than 120 people, with hundreds of others injured.

Odhiambo initially accepted the appointment, saying it presented an opportunity to reform Kenya’s “inadequate legal and institutional framework for victim reparations” and address the country’s “historic crises of police overreach.”

However, she noted that a recent court order suspending the panel’s operations had made it impossible to fulfil its 120-day mandate.

“As things stand, the time-bound mandate of the panel has been stopped by our courts, and the proposed tenure is likely to lapse before the matter is resolved,” she stated.
“Victims continue to reach out to me in total frustration over when their requests for an audience with the panel will be honoured.”

Odhiambo announced that she will now focus her efforts on supporting victims through the Law Society of Kenya, which is already representing several families affected by police violence during the 2023 cost-of-living protests.

“Our team of advocates is already in court in Kisumu for one of the cases involving victims of police excesses,” she said. “We will seek the Judiciary’s intervention to expedite these matters to a conclusion.”

The LSK, under her leadership, is now prioritizing efforts to memorialize victims, identify unreported cases, and push for judicial and parliamentary reforms to strengthen protections for demonstrators and victims of police abuse.

“We must treat reparations for victims with the same seriousness with which we treat repercussions for perpetrators. May justice remain our shield and defender,” she emphasized.

Odhiambo faced significant backlash after accepting President William Ruto’s appointment to the panel. Many critics viewed her participation as a betrayal of the justice efforts she had been leading on behalf of protest victims.

During her swearing-in on September 4, she defended her decision, saying:

“I have in no way betrayed your trust. Access to criminal justice remains critical to me in our quest to promote and protect the rule of law as an essential element in the enjoyment of fundamental human rights and freedoms.”

Her resignation now marks a renewed focus on upholding justice and accountability for victims of police brutality, a cause she has consistently championed throughout her tenure.