Senate through Order Paper No 11 issued on Wednesday, March 8, faulted the United States for not compensating victims of the 1998 bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi.
Lawmakers further ratified a new plan in relation to the compensation process.
This was after Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu tabled a motion for the US government to compensate victims of the bomb blast.
“A disaster is an overwhelming event that tests the adaptation of responses of a community or individuals beyond their capability and leads momentarily to massive disruption of function that often exceeds the capacity to cope using existing resources.
“Such was the case with the 1998 US Embassy Bomb disaster in Nairobi that resulted in 213 Kenyans and 12 Americans killed and over 5000 citizens of both countries being seriously injured,” the motion read in part.
Kavindu told Senate that following the tragedy, US and Kenyan citizens endured the great burden of death, and long-term and in many instances permanent, physical and psychological injury.
She regretted though that the US decided to compensate her citizens and ignore Kenyans.
As a result, the House made resolutions to compel the US government to take responsibility for the matter.
“The Senate resolves that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, advance friendship and cooperation between the United States and Kenya by supporting the eligibility of Kenyan and American victims and their personal representatives, surviving spouses and next of kin in the Victim Compensation Fund pursuant to the Justice for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Act,” the Senate resolved.
If adopted, families of those who lost their loved ones will receive compensation from the US federal government.
The Senate further gave hope to survivors of the 1998 tragedy, burdened by medical bills over the years.
“Ministry of Foreign Affairs should partner with the Ministry of Health to explore subsidised medical treatment for the surviving victims of the bomb blast,” the Senate directed.
