Court increases Matiba’s state compensation to Sh945 million
By SAM KIPLAGATThe High Court on Friday enhanced compensation to be paid to multiparty hero Kenneth Matiba to Sh945 million.
This is after the former minister went back to court over an error in the calculation.
And after appearing before Justice Chacha Mwita, senior principal state counsel Charles Mutinda and Mr Matiba’s lawyer John Mburu recorded a consent correcting the amount to Sh945 million. The earlier amount the court had ordered the state to pay Mr Matiba was Sh504 million.
Justice Isaac Lenaola had ordered the state to pay him Sh471,664,258, being 20 per cent of the amount he had sought. He will also be paid Sh15 million for damages and violations suffered and a further Sh18 million for expenses incurred for his medication.
Mr Matiba went back to court, saying it is necessary to correct the error in the judgment because this might occasion him losses.
Mr Matiba, an avid sportsman and was arrested with others, including Charles Rubia, and detained for agitating for the return of multiparty democracy. While in detention, Mr Matiba suffered stroke but state officials were not bothered to get him medical help.
MEDICAL CONDITION
He suffered the stroke on May 26, 1991, but remained in detention without medical care for one week. The Judge described Mr Matiba as a fitness buff who climbed mountains and was known as an avid outdoorsman. But he was reduced to a state of complete inactivity after detention.
The Judge noted that Mr Matiba was the founder, leader and motivator behind the success of his companies and his detention and ill-treatment affected his business empire.
“It is therefore my finding that the petitioner’s medical condition, triggered by the events in detention leading to his stroke, so greatly affected the business acumen, attention, focus, energy, guidance and leadership he was giving his companies that without him at the helm, they deteriorated and some eventually collapsed,” the Judge said.
Mr Matiba said an audit of the estate revealed that he lost more than Sh2 billion in commercial real estate and a further Sh2 billion in privately held shares.