Agony as Gov't Reneges on Pledge to Settle Medical Bills for DusitD2 Terror Attack Victims

Details have emerged that some victims of the January 15th terror attack at DusitD2 complex in Nairobi's Westlands area are being detained in various hospitals over failure to settle medical bills.

This comes after the government reportedly reneged on its pledge to pay full hospital bills for those injured during the siege.

Speaking to Citizen TV, 21-year Emmanuel Omalla, who sustained bullet wounds during the attack says his family is struggling to raise money for his treatment.

Omalla survived despite being shot seven times on the stomach, back, foot.

He says was detained at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) for 10 days after discharge.

His bill has accumulated to more than Sh100, 000 and is required to visit the hospital after every two weeks for the next two years for checkups.

"We knew the government will pay our bills as promised, but later on government officials started telling us (victims) it was not a national disaster."

"They said for it to be called a national disaster, at least some 60 people should have died. Only 21 people died," Omalla told Citizen TV on Sunday night.

A day after the attack, government officials led by Deputy President William Ruto toured different medical facilities to see victims and promised to settle all bills.

Omalla, a delivery worker, also says that Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki and her Education counterpart Amina Mohamed also visited them and gave assurance that the government would foot the medical bills in full, but the promise was never fulfilled.

KNH has agreed to discharge him after his family promised to pay Sh3, 000 every month until the bill is settled.

Nairobi Senator Johnstone Sakaja has since promised to clear Omalla's bill.

Somalia-based Islamic terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack that left 21 people dead.