Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has introduced a dedicated desk to handle matters exclusively concerning the survivors of the 1998 Bombing Attack.
Appearing before the Senate Ad Hoc Committee pushing for compensation to the Kenyan victims, Mutua acknowledged that he was aware of the complaints lodged by the survivors and families of the victims and promised to lobby American legislators to take up the issue when he attends the 2023 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit in New York slated for September.
Mutua agreed with the senator's views that the compensation was long overdue.
"The American legislators need to amend their laws so that our people can be compensated. So, we must do a lot of lobbying. As the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, the ball is in my court and I’m ready to do just that," Mutua said.
CS Mutua stated that he will collaborate with the legislators to ensure that the weight that the survivors have been carrying is lifted off their shoulders.
According to the CS, the desk is essential, especially considering that the survivors have been knocking on the doors of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs without any luck for over two decades.
He regretted that the survivors had been frustrated as both the Kenyan and American governments failed to commit to compensating them for being negatively impacted by the tragic incident.
The Senators led by Committee Chairperson and Machakos Senator Agnes Kavindu, reiterated the need for the victims to be compensated soon.
The Senators added they were willing to support the Ministry in any way necessary to ensure justice is served to the survivors.
“The Ministry’s role includes diplomacy, negotiation, conflict resolution, and humanitarian assistance. All these roles are aimed at advancing Kenya’s interests. We’ll only achieve the compensation of our people if we work together," Kavindu stated.
To hasten the process, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the committee scheduled future meetings to discuss ways to get support from their American counterparts.
During the devastating terror attack in 1998, at the US embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, more than 220 people tragically lost their lives, and numerous others suffered severe injuries.
