Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo has resigned as vice chairperson of the government-appointed Panel of Experts on Compensation of Victims of Demonstrations and Public Protests, citing the need to preserve LSK’s independence amid growing public and institutional pressure.
In a statement shared with Citizen Digital on Monday, Odhiambo said she had tendered her “formal and immediate resignation” to the Head of Public Service, noting that continuing to serve on the panel would compromise her duty to protect the society’s autonomy and unity.
“I have decided to step down in order to safeguard the independence of the Law Society and maintain our collective focus on justice for victims of police violence,” she said.
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The panel, established on August 25 through a Kenya Gazette notice, was mandated to recommend compensation for victims of police brutality and violence during last year’s and this year’s anti-government protests — demonstrations that left more than 120 people dead and hundreds injured.
Odhiambo said she initially accepted the appointment because it presented an opportunity to reform Kenya’s “inadequate” legal framework on victim reparations and police accountability.
However, she noted that a court order issued last month suspending the panel’s operations 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 explained. “Victims continue to reach out to me in total frustration over when their requests for an audience with the panel will be honoured.”
Odhiambo stated that she will now focus her efforts within the LSK, 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, she added, is currently working to document victims’ stories, identify unreported cases, petition Parliament to strengthen protections for demonstrators, and urge the Chief Justice to fast-track related cases.
“We must treat reparations for victims with the same seriousness with which we treat repercussions for perpetrators. May justice remain our shield and defender,” Odhiambo stated.
Odhiambo’s resignation follows weeks of criticism from sections of the public and civil society, who accused her of betraying victims of police brutality by accepting a government appointment.
Many saw her role on the panel as a conflict of interest, given her previous advocacy for those same victims.
During her swearing-in on September 4, she defended her decision, saying her participation was rooted in the pursuit of justice, not political alignment.
“I have in no way betrayed your trust,” she said then. “Access to criminal justice remains critical in our quest to promote and protect the rule of law as an essential element in the enjoyment of fundamental human rights and freedoms.”
Odhiambo’s resignation is expected to reignite debate over the independence of professional bodies and the government’s handling of victims’ compensation following months of deadly protests.