Nyayo House torture victim sues AG over Sh5m compensation award
Attorney General Githu Muigai. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mr Justus Maurice Ogony Adongo who went into exile in Canada has sued the Attorney General for allegedly refusing to pay him Sh5, 185,813 which High Court judge Isaac Lenaola had on March 28, 2014 ordered that he be paid.
- Through lawyer, Julius Juma, he claimed the state was ordered to pay him the monies which includes interest since the date of the award, but efforts to get the said sum as directed by the court have been futile.
A Nyayo House torture victim who was awarded over Sh5 million two years ago as compensation has moved to court to compel the State to pay him the monies.
Mr Justus Maurice Ogony Adongo who went into exile in Canada has sued the Attorney General for allegedly refusing to pay him Sh5, 185,813 which High Court judge Isaac Lenaola had on March 28, 2014 ordered that he be paid.
Through lawyer, Julius Juma, he claimed the state was ordered to pay him the monies which includes interest since the date of the award, but efforts to get the said sum as directed by the court have been futile.
“We therefore file this instant application seeking orders compelling the AG to pay us the said sum as earlier directed, the failure to pay Mr Adongo has completely prejudiced his desire to have the matter settled and put the Nyayo torture memories behind him,” Mr Juma said.
According to Mr Adongo, he went into exile in early 1980’s following an all-out war on university students declared by the then Kanu administration.
The former University of Nairobi student leader in the varsity’s first students governing Council, now suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a life threatening illness with no cure but needs lots of money to manage.
Between 1982 and 1986, he was twice arrested on allegations of participating in anti-government activities and held in several police stations in Nairobi as well as the Nyayo House Torture Chambers for 78 days.
The former Secretary General of the Students’ Organization of Nairobi University (SONU), was allegedly beaten and detained in water logged cells with human waste floating after he denied having any connection with the outlawed Mwakenya Movement.
He had also told court that he was once sent to a 15 months jail term at Kamiti where he was beaten up until he could not walk and he ended up suffering from tetanus.
After his release he lost his job at the Mombasa Polytechnic (now Technical University of Mombasa) and was dismissed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
He had attempted to do a post graduate course in Computer Science at the same university while working at the School of professional studies thereafter.
However, he fled through Tanzania with the aid of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and relocated to Canada where he lives to date.
He claims that the failure by the state to pay him the award has completely subjected him to be under very expensive medication and is further endangering his life which is completely dependent on medication.
