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Fire at Patel farm year after Solai Dam tragedy [Photos]

Authors:

Miriam Mwende

Scene where about 46 people lost their lives after Solai Dam burst

Solai Dam which burst in 2018 located inside Patel farm (Twitter)

Residents on Wednesday torched a section of the Patel Farm which hosts Solai Dam which burst in May 2018.

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The residents were expecting to have a meeting with Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) officials and grew impatient after the meeting botched.

The scuffle begun after police interrupted the meeting between residents and KHRC and forced the crowds to scatter.

The police maintain that the meeting was not authorized, therefore, unlawful.

Scene as residents engaged police in running battles after a fire was lit on Patel Farm (Twitter)
Scene as residents engaged police in running battles after a fire was lit on Patel Farm (Twitter) Pulse Live Kenya
Scene as residents engaged police in running battles after a fire was lit on Patel Farm (Twitter)
Scene as residents engaged police in running battles after a fire was lit on Patel Farm (Twitter) Pulse Live Kenya
Armed police during a stand off with Solai Dam victims who were to meet with KHRC over compensation (Twitter)
Armed police during a stand off with Solai Dam victims who were to meet with KHRC over compensation (Twitter) Pulse Live Kenya

More than 400 survivors

The more than 400 survivors have been demanding a compensation of Sh1 billion from the owners of the dam after they were left homeless and a number lost their loved ones.

Kabazi MCA Peter Mbae spearheaded the formal demand for compensation through lawyer Kipkoech Ng'etich.

"The victims lost so much and they need to rebuild their lives. They can only rebuild their lives after they are compensated," Dr Mbae told reporters at the time.

Solai Dam tragedy survivors during a past meeting on comepnsation (Daily Nation)
Solai Dam tragedy survivors during a past meeting on comepnsation (Daily Nation) Pulse Live Kenya

Nge'tich added: "We want to carry out a very transparent process of compensating the survivors by involving all stakeholders.

"The owners have said the tragedy was an act of God, but the dam belonged to them. It is their moral responsibility to compensate those affected," the lawyer explained in August 2018.

Authors:

Miriam Mwende

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