US Vetoes Compensation of Embassy Blast Victims

The victims of the 1998 terrorist attack in Nairobi may not receive any compensation as the US government claims to have already paid them and implemented measures to counter terrorism in Kenya. 

In 2020, Former US President Donald Trump demanded Sudan pay $335m in compensation to be removed from the list of state sponsors of terror in 2020. Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok confirmed that the funds were transferred, which was later confirmed by the US. Meanwhile, the Kenyan Senate has formed a committee to pursue compensation for Kenyan victims and their families who were killed or injured in a terrorist attack at the US embassy in Nairobi in 1998. 

Together with Kenya's Foreign Affairs ministry, the committee will collaborate and negotiate with the US government to acquire compensation. However, the US government has yet to affirm whether funding will be issued. The US has provided a grand total of $85 million to work alongside Kenya in prosperous counterterrorism and amplifying safety towards the local population. Cooperation between the US and Kenya's Border Police Unit was assembled and positioned to provide medical resources to weaker societies situated around Kenya's border region.

According to the US Embassy-Nairobi spokesperson, the United States has been working with the Kenyan Coast Guard since its establishment in 2018. The two nations have initiated a long-term project aimed at enhancing maritime security in the western Indian Ocean, notorious for transnational organized crime and illicit trafficking. The spokesperson also stated that the US and Kenya are collaborating to increase the latter's military and law enforcement capabilities in order to tackle both domestic and regional challenges, including terrorism, securing borders, and improving maritime security. According to the Spokesperson, the US will continue to partner with the Kenyan Defence Forces and National Police Service through joint exercises and training to enhance coordination and capacity in dealing with regional security threats.

“We will continue to conduct joint exercises and training with the Kenyan Defence Forces and the National Police Service to increase our coordination and capacity to deal with threats to regional peace and security.” said the spokesperson.