Senior Counsel Charles Kanjama has called on Kenyans to give the task force appointed by President William Ruto to expedite the process of compensating victims of protests a chance.

Speaking on Spice FM on Thursday, August 28, Kanjama dismissed claims that the compensation was a malicious plot to shield the government from criminal liability for deaths, injuries, and losses incurred during past unrest.

“There is something called a complementary mechanism, which means that when you follow one route, it doesn’t exclude your ability to follow another. You can get the compensation from the Executive, and if you want a review for additional compensation or criminal liability, it doesn’t stop those processes,” said Kanjama.

The High Court of Kenya advocate, who was himself appointed to a presidential task force investigating unorthodox religious practices following the revelation of the Shakahola cult, said the initiative may deliver faster results than normal processes.

“If the President decides to establish a team of advisors as a task force to assist him in expediting the process of compensation, then that is something that should be celebrated,” he said, adding, “The victims may have to wait two or three years for the normal processes to take place, and who knows whether they will even succeed.”

On Tuesday this week, President Ruto gazetted a 14-member panel to identify victims of protests, verify their claims, and organise their compensation.

At the same time, the Prof Makau Mutua-led team will recommend legal and institutional reforms to ensure better conduct of protests.

It is, however, the appointment of Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo and Amnesty Kenya Executive Director Irungu Houghton to the panel that has raised eyebrows, with a section of the public warning that they risk tarnishing their image as rights defenders should the plan fail.

“We need to realise that realpolitik means that sometimes when you get the door slightly ajar by the people in the executive, you take advantage of the opportunity and get in…use all angles you can to get redress for the victims,” Kanjama argued.

“I would prefer if we give a chance to the task force. If we can get compensation within three months for these people, we will judge the process as well as the outcome.”

While LSK President Faith Odhiambo turned down a similar appointment to be part of a committee to review the huge public debt, she has neither publicly accepted nor rejected the new offer.

According to Kanjama, the team usurps the functions of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), which is constitutionally mandated to handle such matters.

Additionally, he urged for the proofing of the process through checks by Parliament, the Judiciary, and the KNCHR, adding that a favorable outcome