Joel Kamau was only 22 years old when Kiamaina Assistant Chief, Samuel Njoroge, illegally auctioned his tailoring tools over a Ksh10,000 loan secured from a Sacco.
After 20 years of legal battles, Kamau has finally gotten justice after the court found that the administrator and auctioneers acted illegally by selling his equipment and some of his clients' clothes.
Kamau denied having any knowledge of the loan, arguing that it was a non-existent one.
"By the orders of this court issued on April 26, 2013, order and decree retired Kiamaina Assistant Chief, Samuel Njoroge, the financial institution Ebony Sacco, and the director David Njuguna to pay the plaintiff Ksh1m each as compensation for causing the loss of his working tools," the court ruled.
According to Njoroge, Kamau took a Ksh10,000 loan from Ebony Sacco in the year 2000 and failed to repay resulting in the Chief alongside Sacco officials auctioning his work tools.
The unsuspecting tailor was at his shop at Ahero village when the Sacco officials were accompanied by the Assistant Chief to collect the loan.
When a disagreement arose, Kamau was dragged to the Assistant Chief's office where he was locked up in the cell and whipped.
In a bid to regain his tools and dignity, he filed a case but it lacked evidence and was dismissed.
In 2013, Kamau filed a civil suit and the court ordered the accused to offer compensation inclusive of accrued interest.
However, his lawyer betrayed him and allied with the court officials, and petitioned that only one of the accused should pay the compensation. Kamau only got Ksh170,000 from one of the defendants.
Unsatisfied, the tailor continued with the quest for justice. After a seven-year push and pull between the parties over the decree, the court ordered the issuance of a fresh decree against the three.
“It has been a long journey but I thank God it has come to an end. I have suffered enough in the corridors of justice and I just hope that the two will comply with the court orders,” Kamau stated after the Wednesday, August 3, ruling offering him Ksh3 million in compensation.
Additionally, Kamau, 42, noted that he will use the money to purchase a piece of land where he will settle down with his family.
