Bungoma law courts Thursday February 10, 2022 resumed hearing of the cases that were presented in court in 2008 by the widows whose husbands were killed unlawfully and some faced enforced disappearance in Mt Elgon during the clashes that happened when the Kenya military was tackling the Sabaot Land Defense Force (SLDF).
Speaking to the press at Bungoma law courts, Victor Kamau who is an advocate and the deputy director of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said that they were forced to stop the case for a year after the Kenya Defense Force made an application over the same.
He noted that this was the first hearing since it was stopped.
The widows are pleading with the government to hurry the case for them to get justice and compensation.
During the clashes, most people were affected, some lost their lives while some were forced to relocate to look for refuge in some different parts of Bungoma county.
Kamau noted that they have 18 widows on board whom they are helping to get justice for some were left with children who are still dependent on their parents.
Lilian Ndunya who is one of the affected widows noted that she is facing challenges in raising her family after her husband was butchered during the clashes leaving her behind as the breadwinner and with that, she needs the government to intervene and have her and the other affected women compensated.
“We have been here the better part of the day with hope of finally getting justice that we all deserve after our husbands were killed mercilessly but the way things are being dragged, we are just banking our hope on God maybe one day we shall get justice,” she said
Ndunya also asked the government to take charge in ensuring that the country has a peaceful election this year so that post-election violence that was experienced in 2007 is not repeated