In an interview with Citizen TV, Rigathi Gachagua claimed that President William Ruto’s plan to compensate victims of police brutality and extrajudicial killings is not about justice, but rather a calculated move to collect the identities of victims so that they cannot testify against him if cases end up at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Speaking from his Karen home on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, the former Deputy President criticised the government’s recent decision to oversee the compensation process directly.
He argued that before any payment is made, the president should first acknowledge that extrajudicial killings and abductions have taken place under his administration.
According to Gachagua, true reconciliation begins with honesty and an apology to Kenyans who have suffered loss at the hands of security officers.
He went further to accuse the state of running special units that have been behind enforced disappearances and killings.
Gachagua demanded the disbandment of what he called a “killer squad” of 101 police officers. He argued that unless these units are dismantled and those responsible prosecuted, any talk of compensation would remain hollow.
In his view, justice must come before money, and victims should not be silenced through payouts.
“Compensating people without accountability is an insult. Those who gave the orders and those who carried them out must face the law. Otherwise, Kenyans will see this as blood money,” Gachagua said, warning that the government cannot be trusted to investigate itself while at the same time handing out payments.
He insisted that the responsibility should be handed to an independent body such as the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC).
By doing so, he said, families would feel assured that their voices matter and that justice is being pursued fairly. His biggest concern, however, was the link between compensation and the ICC petition already filed. He claimed that the compensation programme is simply a way of profiling possible witnesses and undermining their protection.
“This is not about helping families, it is about protecting the president. Once the government knows the victims and their families, those people will be too scared to speak at the Hague. It is a trap dressed up as compassion,” he said.
President Ruto, on his part, has already gazetted a 15-member committee to oversee the exercise, promising fairness, inclusivity, and timely payments. The team has been tasked with designing a framework that will verify and categorise victims while working with civil society, faith groups, and state agencies.
But Gachagua insists that unless the process is moved out of government control and tied to accountability, it will remain nothing more than a political shield.
