Kipsigis, Talai suffered injustices in the hands colonialists
Senators have unanimously agreed the Kipsigis and the Talai communities suffered great human injustices during the British colonial era in Kenya.
The Senate Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights said the two communities deserve justice and compensation as a matter of urgency as they suffered land historical injustices, torture, rape while others were killed by the British colonial government.
The committee that visited Kericho County to collect views from the members of the Talai and Kipsigis communities on injustices they faced were led by Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni. Others were Mutula Kilonzo Junior and Samson Cherargei.
Demand compensation
They held their sitting at a Kericho hotel where several groups from the two communities presented their petitions on the land historical injustices where they called for speedy process in a bid for them to get justice.
The groups highlighted sufferings they underwent during the former British colonial government and demanded for compensation for the same.
They made proposals to the committee to consider some amendments in section 15 of the National Land Commission (NLC) to allow the victims more opportunities and a window to present their issues.
Omogeni said it was true members of the Talai and Kipsigis communities underwent untold sufferings and injustices in the hands of the colonisers due to the forceful acquisition of their land saying the senate will do everything within its disposal to ensure members of the communities get justice as soon as possible.
“We are alive to the fact the members of the communities suffered injustices and me as the senate committee member, I will make proposals to the committee with a view to enlarging a widow of the victims to present their issues.
They deserve compensations for the sufferings in the hands of the former British colonial government,” the Nyamira senator added.
He revealed senate will begin the process of enacting legislation to deal with issues that are of concern to them.
Mutula Kilonzo Jr on his part said the members of the two communities have suffered for too long saying the matter should be expedite so that they get justice as soon as possible.