US Supreme Court awards KSh 1 trillion to 1998 bombing victims in Kenya, Tanzania
- The court said Sudan must pay the money to terrorism victims after investigations revealed it helped al Qaeda carry out the bombings that killed 224 people and wounded thousands
- The attacks in Nairobi and Dar es Salaaam were believed to have been revenge for US involvement in the extradition of four members of Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ)
- The attacks placed the then al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on the list of the most wanted men and he was eventually killed in 2011 in Pakistan after several years of hiding
The 1998 bombing victims in Kenya and Tanzania have finally found justice after the United States (US) Supreme Court awarded them KSh 1 trillion in damages.
In a unanimous ruling on Monday, May 18, the court said Sudan must pay the money to terrorism victims after investigations revealed it helped al Qaeda carry out the bombings that killed 224 people and wounded thousands.
US Supreme Court awards KSh 1 trillion to 1998 bombing victims in Kenya, Tanzania
The 1998 bomb blast in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam on the US embassy buildings killed more than 200 people. Photo: The Standard.
Judge John Bates of the Federal District Court in Washington said the then al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden received the support and protection of the Sudanese intelligence and military from foreign intelligence services and rival militants.
"Sudan harbored and provided sanctuary to terrorists and their operational and logistical supply network. It provided bin Laden and Al Qaeda hundreds of Sudanese passports. The Sudanese intelligence service allowed Al Qaeda to travel over the Sudan-Kenya border without restriction," part of his ruling read.
US Supreme Court awards KSh 1 trillion to 1998 bombing victims in Kenya, Tanzania
The 1998 bomb attack left over 4,000 people injured. Photo: US embassy.
The judge awarded the petitioners about $10.2 billion ( KSh 1.02 trillion) in damages, including roughly $4.3 billion (KSh 430 billion) in punitive damages.
Foreign nations are ordinarily immune from suits in American courts.
The Congress however, amended the laws in 2008 allowing plaintiffs to seek damages in some situations related to terrorism.
The bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaaam were widely believed to have been revenge for US involvement in the extradition, and alleged torture, of four members of Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) who had been arrested in Albania for an alleged series of murders in Egypt in the two months prior to the attacks on August 7, 1998.
The attacks placed bin Laden on the list of the most wanted men and he was eventually killed in 2011 in Pakistan after several years of hiding.
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