Kenyan court dismisses compensation claim by victims of 1998 Nairobi bombing

Kenyan Court Dismisses Compensation Claim Related to 1998 US Embassy Bombing

A Kenyan court has dismissed the compensation claim filed by families and victims of the August 1998 bombing of the United States embassy in Nairobi. The attack resulted in over 200 fatalities, including 12 Americans, and thousands of injuries, predominantly affecting local residents.

A simultaneous explosion occurred at the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

On Wednesday, the court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the claim that the Kenyan government failed to act on prior intelligence regarding the attack. Judge Lawrence Mugambi stated that the petitioners alleged failures in border and immigration controls that allowed infiltration by dangerous individuals without detection.

"The petitioners were required to demonstrate, on a balance of probability, that specific intelligence existed and that the government failed to act on it,” Judge Mugambi explained. He acknowledged the state's obligation to take proactive measures to prevent violations of the right to life but emphasized that proving such constitutional rights violations requires evidence of the primary fact.

The United States government has compensated the relatives of its nationals affected by the blast, with payments exceeding $5 billion. However, local victims have expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment.

Mike Kitivo, a member of a consortium representing victims of the 1998 bombing, expressed disappointment, stating, “For close to three decades, these men and women have been waiting for justice to be served. We are very disappointed."

The group intends to appeal the decision and seek action from the International Criminal Court of Justice, hoping for compensation from nations whose financial institutions may have funded al-Qaeda’s activities.

Based on reporting by Africanews.