{"id":806107,"url":"http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/806107/?format=json","text_counter":170,"type":"other","speaker_name":"","speaker_title":"","speaker":null,"content":"Hon. Senators, the salient issues raised in the said Petition are:- (i) THAT the petitioners are ex-officers and servicemen of the Kenya Air Force who served until the time of the attempted coup of 1st August, 1982; (ii) THAT following the said attempt, they were arrested, tortured, detained and imprisoned for periods spanning from six months to several years and then dismissed unlawfully and unconstitutionally from the Kenya Air Force without compensation; (iii) THAT the petitioners filed Petitions at the High Court of Kenya and were awarded different settlements by different judges on diverse dates; (iv) THAT after the awards, the ex-officers applied and got certificate of decrees, certificate of taxation and certificate of order against the Government to make payment of the said compensation awards; (v) THAT their lawyers have written several demands and reminders to the office of the Attorney General and copied to the Department of Defense which have gone unheeded for several years; and (vi) THAT the petitioners have further petitioned the Office of the Ombudsman with no results to date. The petitioners, therefore, pray that the Senate jointly investigates this matter with a view to compelling the State to make good the court awards and settle the compensation awarded together with the interest accrued thereof. Hon. Senators, pursuant to Standing Order 225, I shall now allow comments, observations or clarifications in relation to the Petition for not more than 30 minutes. Hon. Senators, looking at the time, we may not have all the time. However, as I have said, because that Standing Orders allow, I will allow only a few observations. This is because we have another Petition and many other items on today’s Order Paper. Much of today’s time has been taken rightfully by the process of eulogizing our departed colleague. Proceed, Sen. Madzayo."}