Victims of botched malaria jab protest delayed payout

Parents and children who received jab at the Akichelesit dispensary protest outside the county government gate over delayed compensation

Parents and victims of the 2015 botched Akichelesit dispensary malaria jab yesterday protested outside the county headquarters over delayed compensation.

This is not the first time the parents are protesting due to delayed compensation. Last year, they took to the streets to vent their frustrations after the county failed to comply with a  court order directing they be paid.

The then chairman of the Budget and Appropriation Committee John Obwogo told them that their money had been factored in the current fiscal year and they would be paid.

Three days to the end of the financial year, however, the compensation has not been effected. The court ruled that the 28 children were victims of professional negligence.

After receiving the injection in 2015 at the Teso North constituency dispensary, the children developed weak limbs, hands and spinal cords. They were later airlifted for specialised treatment at Nairobi Hospital.

Sadly some of the school going children have developed mental complications.

One of the parents Mathew Edejai slammed the leadership of the county for locking them out of the gate.

“We are only asking the county to compensate our children as per the court order because they are suffering,” said Edejai.

Cathrine Orikodi accused the county of taking the children for granted.

“They asked our lawyer to provide them with bank accounts and promised to wire money to the account, but they decided to go silent afterwards,” she said.

Former retired judge Justice Anyara Emukule who is the new County Attorney was forced to address the distraught parents and their children outside the gate.

Mr Emukule said the county had accepted the ruling of the court and will abide by it.

He said it will not be possible for the compensation to be done in the current fiscal year as it is coming to an end so they will wait until the 2019/20 Financial Year.