Lawyer Wanyiri Kihoro says that the government has not paid Sh945 million awarded to second liberation icon Kenneth Matiba for torture and unlawful detention under Kanu regime in the 1990s.
Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV on Monday, Kihoro said Matiba passed away before he received a single cent of the money, months after the court ordered the government to pay the compensation.
“The court decided the matter nine months ago but Matiba was not paid,” the former Nyeri Town MP said on Monday.
The late Matiba was imprisoned on July 1990 by retired president Moi’s administration for calling for the return of multiparty politics in the country.
He suffered a stroke while in detention on May 26, 1991, but state officials denied him access to doctors for a week. On August 17th, last year, Supreme Court’s Justice Isaac Lenaola awarded him Sh504 million for the loss his business suffered as a result of his incarceration.
However, his lawyer John Mburu returned to the court, arguing that the calculation for the compensation was erroneously done and the amount was increased to Sh945 million.
“It is my finding that the petitioner’s medical condition, triggered by the events of the detention leading to his stroke, so greatly affected his business acumen attention, focus, energy, guidance and leadership he was giving his companies. Without him at the helm the deteriorated and come eventually collapsed,” Justice Lenaola ruled.
It is reported that Matiba lost over Sh2 billion in commercial real estate and an additional Sh2 billion in privately held shares. Five of his firm were auctioned to settle accumulating debts.
He passed away while receiving treatment at Karen Hospital on Sunday aged 85.
Did the taxpayers torture…
Did the taxpayers torture him?