THE Kenyan High Court on Wednesday mandated the government to pay $3.4 million in compensation to the families of the 148 victims of the 2015 Garissa University terror attack, which predominantly claimed the lives of students.
The court concluded that the state failed to protect the students from the al-Shabaab-led assault, emphasising that Kenya’s intelligence services had prior knowledge of a potential attack on the university but did not implement adequate preventative measures.
John Mwariri, the lawyer representing the families of the victims and the injured, stated that the state was culpable for the innocent lives lost. ‘The court found there was sufficient information and intelligence about the imminent Garissa attack. Consequently, it ruled that these victims should be compensated. We are pleased with the damages awarded,’ Mwariri said.
Each family of the deceased victims will receive about $23,000.
Rachael Gikonyo, a former Garissa University student now confined to a wheelchair due to injuries from the attack, expressed her satisfaction with the settlement. ‘I am pleased with the compensation; it brings some solace to the affected families,’ she told Anadolu news agency.
On April 2, 2015, al-Shabaab gunmen stormed Garissa University College in Kenya, killing 148 people, primarily students, and injuring many others. The court’s ruling acknowledges the state’s failure to act on the intelligence that could have prevented the tragic event.
