WE WILL SURVIVE.

THE DEVASTATING SCENE OF THE BOMB BLAST ATTACK AT UFUNDI HOUSE IN AUG 8 1998.

This week has been especially sensitive and emotional for many Kenyans. Tuesday the 7th day of August 2012 saw Kenya commemorating that fateful day when more than 250 Kenyans lost their lives in a bomb attack initially aimed at the US embassy which  at the time, was located in the city center.

  14 years later, it remains unclear as to whether the survivors and the family of the deceased are in a position to put this devastating memory behind them. It's interesting to note that on this very day, instead of taking time off to grieve or simply remember their loved ones, they were busy agitating for compensation, which is yet to be made for their loss. This seems to be the only opportunity for them to push their case, otherwise, they'll have to wait another year for the attention. In the mean time, who's footing their medical bills for the long term physical and psychological damages as a direct result of the attack?

PHOTO COURTESY OF:COLLINS KWEYU/STANDARD

   However, what amount of 'compensation' would it take to dilute the trauma and effects of loosing a loved one? There are children out there growing up without their parent (s), siblings counting one less of their own, widows, widowers; breadwinners who left a loud echo, never to be heard from again. The US and Kenyan Governments seem to imagine that this is one of those issues that will simply go away, swept under the rugs at their convenience of course.

They could be right.

So let's say it as it really is: no one cares.

There should be an MP at the very least pushing for the bomb blast  survivors to be compensated, but then again, we still have IDPs out in the cold, so let's not hold our breath...

Compensating the survivors and families of the victims is the very least that can be done. How about giving them the opportunity to tell their story? May be they can inspire others going through loss. How about if the government urgently pushes the US embassy to compensate them? This is radical but the millions spent re-furbishing the Parliament could have just as easily been used to assist the survivors of the bomb blast (and many other urgent situations that many Kenyans are facing today) .

We've already done too much for America: slavery, looting of our resources, bomb attacks, unwarranted travel advisories not withstanding. It's time for them to do something genuine for our countrymen, no agendas- just some plain old humanity.