New hope for 1998 bomb blast survivors

John Allan has no recollection of the events that led to the death of his father 12 years ago.

Every bit of information from that tragic event has come from second or third parties or television footage.

The only other person who can corroborate that information is his mother. But the memories are too painful for her to retell.

“She says it’s all in the past and she wouldn’t want to remember what happened,” said Allan. “And when she tries, she breaks down midway and shuts down.”

Allan is one of the 5,000-plus survivors of 1998 US embassy bombing in Nairobi that killed more than 200 people.

Like others, on Saturday he went to the bomb blast site, which has since become a memorial park, to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the tragedy.

The plaque

But, as he read his father’s name on the plaque with the list of the victims, his lone figure somehow summed up the spirit of most of the survivors; everyone for himself and God for us all.

The Bomb Blast Victims Association chairman Ali Mwadama, who spoke at the event, said progress for the survivors has been held back by those pursuing individual compensation using the association’s name.

“It is not right for us to approach the government as individuals. The government doesn’t help individuals, it helps groups,” he said.

On Friday, reports from Washington indicated that the 6,000 victims of the bombing might get compensation by the American government amounting to Sh880 million if a judge rules in their favour.

Philip Musolino, a lawyer representing the survivors, said American judge John Facciola, who has been assigned the case, had earlier planned to travel to Kenya to take testimony from victims, but security concerns led to a decision to hold the trial in Washington, probably in November.

“The only difficult decision for the judge is to decide whose damages law to apply, Kenya’s or the United States,” he said.

Some of the money to settle the claims could come from seized al Qaeda assets.

Mr Musolino and other lawyers representing Kenyan clients have maintained that American officials knew that an al Qaeda cell was operating in Nairobi yet did nothing to bolster security at the embassy, which should have been seen as a likely target of a terrorist attack.

But some of those present pleaded ignorance of any possible compensation. Some did not seem to know or the American lawyer.

Years of suffering

“Despite these breakdowns in communication, we remain hopeful that justice will finally prevail after all these years of suffering,” said Lucy Aringo, a survivor.

Since the bombing, some of the survivors have died. Some gave up hope of ever being compensated while others moved on with life.

Others John Allan live with memories of a painful past every day caring a paralysed mother.

“If the Americans want to help us they will. If they don’t, we cannot force them to,” he said.

And that is not his only worry. As others battle in court on his behalf, he is confronting a more urgent issue.

“I just wish I could get enough school fees for the coming term,” he says.