The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has opposed an appeal filed to revive President William Ruto’s victim compensation panel, a move that comes shortly after LSK President Faith Odhiambo resigned from the team amid intense public pressure.
The appeal was lodged at the Court of Appeal by President Ruto’s Senior Advisor, Prof. Makau Mutua, and Faith Odhiambo, challenging a High Court order that halted the operations of the compensation panel on September 8, 2025. However, LSK, in its official response filed less than a day after Odhiambo’s resignation, argued that the appeal was both premature and legally unsound.
According to court documents, LSK maintained that the issues raised by the appellants were still pending determination before the High Court, and therefore, the appellate court should not be drawn into a matter yet to be concluded at the lower level.
The appellants accused the High Court of issuing what they termed as irregular orders and claimed that one of the presiding judges had a familial link to a petitioner in a related case. They also argued that the petitioner failed to disclose crucial information that could have affected the outcome of the proceedings.
In its rebuttal, LSK insisted that such concerns should have been addressed at the High Court level, emphasizing that no judgment had been delivered to justify an appeal. “The appellants have not demonstrated how enforcement of the High Court’s orders would irreparably affect them,” LSK stated in its written submissions.
The Court of Appeal’s ruling will be pivotal in determining whether the victim compensation panel set up to address injustices and abuses from past regimes can resume its work. However, the case hit another snag after Justice Sankale Ole Kantai recused himself from hearing the matter due to a conflict of interest.
The ruling is expected to shape the legal and political future of President Ruto’s controversial panel amid growing public scrutiny.
