Kenneth Matiba awarded Ksh 0.5B for illegal detention, torture

The state will pay Multi-Party pioneer, Kenneth Matiba over Ksh 504 million for wrongful detention in the year 1991.

High Court Judge, Chacha Mwita, ruled that Matiba’s rights were violated by the state during the Moi era.

He was awarded over Ksh 18 million as medical expenses, over Ksh 471 million as compensation for financial losses occasioned to him through the collapse of his businesses and financial ventures he was also awarded over Ksh 15 million as damages for the said violations.

The Mulit-Party pioneer argued that he was mistreated in detention during the Moi era.

He claimed that while in detention in 1991, he slept on the floor for long periods before he was eventually provided with a mattress.

Arguments that Prison warder Joshua Yuma dismissed saying that Matiba was given a bed while other prisoners slept on the floor.

Yuma was among the witnesses called by the state in its defence against claims of torturing Matiba in detention.

Matiba sued the state over the alleged torture and he was seeking Ksh 12 billion compensation, saying he lost investment running into billions of shillings.