How Kenyan taxpayers are still paying through the nose for Moi's torture and cruelty sins

Last year, the Treasury released Sh888 million ($8.88 million) to compensate survivors of State torture and cruelty.
More than 400 Kenyans have since gone to court and successfully argued that they were tortured by State officials or officers during the Moi-era.
During the dark days, it was common practice for the police to arrest persons perceived to be dissidents and hold them in the infamous torture chambers at Nyayo House.

Being a Kenyan is proving to be harder with each passing day. On top of increasing cost of living, joblessness and layoffs, poor public service and robbed blind by corrupt public officials as if that is not enough, Kenyans still have to pay for the state’s sins and forcibly cough up a hefty bill of compensating fellow Kenyans tortured by the state.

Last year, the Treasury released Sh888 million ($8.88 million) to compensate survivors of State torture and cruelty, bringing to focus what a back breaking burden left on the Kenyans by overzealous Nyayo-era government officials and security agencies who committed the human rights violations.

Kenyan Treasury (the star) Pulse Live Kenya

In March 2019, 23 survivors of torture during the Nyayo era, among them former Subukia MP Koigi wa Wamwere, wrote to the Treasury over their delayed compensation. They were demanding more than Sh 154 million ($1.54 million), which they said they desperately needed to pay medical bills and other obligations after waiting for years without receiving compensation.

The funds were released between June and December 2019 to cover for 52 cases of survivors who had successfully sued for compensation over inhumane treatment decades back, according to sources at the Treasury and the Attorney-General’s office, Business Daily reported.

Former Subukia MP Koigi wa Wamwere. (Hivi Sasa) Pulse Live Kenya

More than 400 Kenyans have since gone to court and successfully argued that they were tortured by State officials or officers during the Moi-era. Among them are lawyers, politicians, journalists, former university lecturers, former student leaders, police and military officers.

During the dark days, it was common practice for the police to arrest persons perceived to be dissidents and hold them in the infamous torture chambers at Nyayo House.

While awarding some of the survivors, the judges ruled that they were persuaded that the complainants had proved to the required standards that they were physically tortured and subjected to unwarranted cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.