The wait for justice has been pushed further for survivors and families of those affected by the 1998 US Embassy bombing in Nairobi after the High Court postponed the judgment in their compensation case to early next year.
Dozens of victims, relatives, and members of the public had filled the Milimani Law Courts on November 6, 2025, expecting a verdict that would bring closure to their decades-long pursuit for justice.
Instead, they left disappointed when Justice Lawrence Mugambi announced that he needed more time to go through the extensive files before issuing a final decision.
“I ask for your patience. I will give this judgment the time it deserves,” the judge said, explaining that the volume and complexity of documents required a detailed review. “The files have been with me but I could not cope. It is huge. I need sufficient time to go through all the documents thoroughly,” he added.
Justice Mugambi told the court that delivering a judgment before the end of the year would be impossible and set January 15, 2026, as the new date. He urged victims to remain in contact with their legal representatives for updates.
For many of the survivors, the news came as a painful reminder of the long and frustrating road they have travelled in search of justice since the August 7, 1998, bombing that left over 200 people dead and more than 5,000 injured in Nairobi alone. Twelve of the victims were Americans.
The attack, which also struck the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing 11 people and wounding dozens more, was later linked to the Al-Qaeda network. Most of those affected in Nairobi were workers, students, and passers-by who were going about their daily routines near the Ufundi Sacco building when the blast tore through the area.
In a separate statement released Thursday, the Consortium of August 7, 1998 Victims urged President William Ruto and US President Donald Trump to address the compensation issue that has dragged on for nearly three decades.
“This is not merely about money,” their statement read. “It is about restoring dignity, acknowledging our suffering, and safeguarding the future of generations still living with the scars of that dark day.”
The group, led by Justus Kimathi, appealed to President Ruto to take up their cause and raise the matter with Washington during the upcoming visit of US Vice President JD Vance later this month.
They criticised successive governments for neglecting the victims and failing to act on findings of the Ad Hoc Parliamentary Committee on Bomb Blast Compensation, chaired by Senator Agnes Kavindu, which has reportedly been awaiting action for over a year.
The victims also warned against fraudsters posing as representatives of the survivors, insisting that their consortium is the legitimate body speaking for those affected.
They said many continue to suffer from trauma, disability, and poverty, with some having died without receiving any form of redress.
“Families were left destitute, children dropped out of school, and the nation’s conscience remains unsettled,” they said, calling for both governments to finally honour their promise of justice and closure.
