Nearly two decades after the tragic 2007–2008 Post-Election Violence (PEV) plunged Kenya into political and humanitarian unrest, the country’s highest court stands on the precipice of a monumental constitutional decision.
The Supreme Court of Kenya is hearing final oral arguments in Petition No. SCPT/E041/2025 (Coalition on Violence Against Women & 11 Others v. State Law Office, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions & 3 Others). At the core of this long-running legal saga is a profound question of state responsibility: Does the Kenyan government owe a duty of protection and financial compensation to survivors of conflict-related sexual violence when the perpetrators were non-state actors?
The outcome of this case will not only determine the long-overdue financial and psychological reparations for remaining survivor-petitioners but will also set a landmark international precedent on state due diligence, human rights accountability, and state liability during civil unrest.
1. Context and History: The 18-Year Fight for Justice
Following the disputed December 2007 presidential election, widespread violence broke out across Kenya, resulting in over 1,300 deaths, massive displacement, and systematic Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). Women, men, and children suffered horrific assaults, including gang rape, forced circumcision, sodomy, and physical mutilation.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ TIMELINE OF THE LANDMARK SGBV LITIGATION │
├─────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Year │ Milestone / Legal Event │
├─────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 2007–2008 │ Post-Election Violence breaks out; widespread SGBV │
│ 2013 │ Petition 122 of 2013 filed in High Court by COVAW & 8│
│ Dec 2020 │ High Court awards KSh 16M to 4 state-assaulted victims│
│ 2021 │ Partial Appeal filed over exclusion of 4 other victims│
│ 2025 │ Court of Appeal upholds High Court’s split ruling │
│ July 2026 │ Supreme Court hears final arguments in landmark appeal│
└─────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
In 2013, eight survivor-petitioners, supported by civil society organizations—including the Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW), Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ-Kenya), and the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU)—filed a groundbreaking petition at the High Court in Nairobi.
They argued that the state failed to deploy adequate policing, prevent foreseeable harm, investigate offenses, or provide emergency medical care to victims.
2. The Legal Divide: State vs. Non-State Perpetrators
The central controversy before the Supreme Court stems from a sharp legal distinction drawn by lower courts between survivors attacked by state officers versus those attacked by private individuals (non-state actors).
┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ THE PERPETRATOR DISTINCTION PARADOX │
└───────────────────┬────────────────────┘
│
┌───────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────┐ ┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ VICTIMS OF STATE AGENTS │ │ VICTIMS OF NON-STATE ACTORS │
├────────────────────────────────────────┤ ├────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ • Assaulted by police/security forces │ │ • Assaulted by civilian militias/gangs │
│ • High Court found State liable (2020) │ │ • High Court denied compensation (2020)│
│ • Received KSh 16M (4M per survivor) │ │ • Left without effective state remedy │
│ • State duty breached directly │ │ • Excluded based solely on attacker │
└────────────────────────────────────────┘ └────────────────────────────────────────┘
When the High Court delivered its judgment in December 2020, it recognized that SGBV during the post-election crisis constituted torture and crimes against humanity. However, the court awarded compensation of KSh 16 million ($124,000) exclusively to four survivors who were assaulted by security forces or had reported to police who failed to investigate.
The remaining four survivors were denied compensation because their attackers were civilian perpetrators and they were unable to file police reports at the time due to widespread insecurity and trauma.
The Court of Appeal upheld this distinction in 2025. Co-petitioners and civil society groups appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that this creates an arbitrary two-tiered justice system that penalizes survivors based solely on who violated them.
3. What the Petitioners Are Seeking
The survivor-petitioners and civil society organizations are asking Kenya’s highest bench to rectify this disparity once and for all.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ KEY PETITIONER DEMANDS │
├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 1. Equal Compensation: Extend financial redress to all 8 survivors. │
│ 2. Medical & Psychological Support: Mandate state-funded rehabilitation. │
│ 3. State Due Diligence Doctrine: Affirm state duty to protect citizens │
│ from non-state actors during periods of civil unrest. │
│ 4. Official Public Apology: Formal government acknowledgement of SGBV │
│ failures during the 2007–2008 post-election crisis. │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The petitioners contend that under international law—including the Convention Against Torture (CAT) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights—the state’s obligation to protect citizens extends to exercising due diligence to prevent, investigate, and punish private acts of violence.
4. Why This Case Matters Ahead of Future Elections
The timing of this Supreme Court hearing carries profound political and social implications.
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│ BROADER IMPACT OF THE RULING │
└───────────────────┬────────────────────┘
│
┌───────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
┌──────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│ ELECTORAL │ │ REPARATIONS │ │ GLOBAL LEGAL │
│ DETERRENCE │ │ FRAMEWORK │ │ PRECEDENT │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ Establishes │ │ Operationalizes │ │ Clarifies state │
│ clear state duty │ │ the Restorative │ │ liability for │
│ to safeguard │ │ Justice Fund for │ │ non-state SGBV in│
│ vulnerable group │ │ historical │ │ conflict zones │
│ in future polls. │ │ victims. │ │ worldwide. │
└──────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘
Deterrence Against Election Insecurity: Setting a binding precedent that holds the state financially liable for failing to prevent widespread violence creates strong constitutional pressure on law enforcement to adequately protect vulnerable populations in future general elections.
Operationalizing the Restorative Justice Fund: A ruling in favor of the petitioners could compel the government to fully fund and execute comprehensive reparation schemes for all historical victims of state and political violence in Kenya.
Closing the Immunity Gap: By establishing that a state cannot escape responsibility simply because an attacker was a non-state actor, Kenya could establish a global landmark for human rights law in post-conflict settings.
Conclusion
For the survivor-petitioners who have spent nearly 20 years reliving trauma through courtroom battles, this Supreme Court ruling is about far more than monetary compensation—it is about dignity, official validation, and systemic reform.
As the Supreme Court judges prepare their verdict, the nation and the global human rights community wait to see whether Kenya’s highest court will deliver a ruling that solidifies justice for all conflict-related sexual violence survivors.
