Today in History: Kenya marks 24 years since the 1998 bombing of US Embassy

As Kenya marks the 24th Anniversary of the terrorist attack, unhealed wounds, eminent sadness at the inexplicable loss of life, and the heart piercing stories of the unprecedented tragedy is what remains to paint a picture of how Kenyans stood through adversity.

The attack was attributed to members of the Egyptian Islamists Jihad, linked to the late Osama bin Laden.

On such a day Kenyans who lost their loved ones visit the Memorial Park in Nairobi to pay their respects. A plaque bearing names of the victims was constructed at the premise to honor those who died.

Led by US ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, leaders have remembered the victims lost in the tragic event.

How it happened.

On the morning of August 7, a Friday, the attackers drove their pickup truck into the parking lot. 

The embassy shared a parking lot with several other buildings, including the Cooperative Bank and Ufundi House. They also had an underground garage that included a delivery dock. 

The driver and passengers insisted that they had a special delivery for the embassy loading dock: hundreds of pounds of explosives.

When the guards refused to allow them in, the attackers began shooting and threw a grenade. The frustrated terrorists then detonated the bomb in the rear parking lot with an intention to level the embassy.

Kenyans from nearby streets and buildings thronged the premise to aid in whatever ways they could.

As it was, 213 people died immediately, 44 of whom were U.S. Embassy Nairobi staff, and over 5,000 were injured.

Compensation

Since then, incessant petitions have been filed in both Kenyan and American courts lobbying for full compensation to the survivors and their families.

Despite the US saying it has given millions of dollars in humanitarian assistance to Kenyan victims of the embassy bombing, most of them say they have not received any money.

They have insisted that they want compensation and their initial target is the Kenyan government, which they accuse of failing to seek justice on behalf of its citizens.