Nyayo House torture chambers victim awarded Ksh.2M in damages

The family of the late James Odera Ojijo has been awarded Ksh.2million in damages, 32 years after he was illegally detained and allegedly tortured at Nyayo House.

He was a former aide of Kenya’s first vice president, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

According to court documents, Ojijo was arrested in 1987 for allegedly being part of an illegal group known as Mwakenya and detained for 73 days before trial.

He was later jailed for five years and died 10 years later in what the family said was as a result of torture at the Nyayo House chambers.

In his ruling on Friday, High Court Judge Fred Ochieng said that such prolonged detention without being taken to court constituted inhumane treatment.

An earlier suit filed in 2010 by his daughter Rachel Ojijo, that sought justice and compensation of Ksh.2million was unsuccessful.

On the matter, Justice Ochieng said that the family did not provide the court with evidence that the father was tortured therefore they could not award damages for torture.

He clarified that the Ksh.2million award was for the delay in arraignment of the late Ojijo.

Speaking to Citizen Digital after the ruling, his son James Odera Ojijo welcomed the ruling but said the award was insufficient.