Only a handful claimants invested wisely

By Standard  Reporter

Not all the claimants that received payouts from the British Government in 2003 squandered the money they got.

Inquiries by The Standard On Saturday revealed cases where the beneficiaries made good use of their packages. Most were those whose awards were modest enough to keep them from abandoning their economic activities.

Singida Kukuton, 54, and Sammy Kania Lengunono, 30, are testimony of success in managing the unexpected wealth.

Despite getting smaller amounts than others, they made good use of the funds. Their case can be a lesson for Mau Mau-era detainees awaiting their Sh2.6 billion payout. Lengunono was injured when a 105mm shell he found as he went to graze his father’s cattle at Laresoro area exploded. He received Sh1.2 million and despite being barely 20 at the time he got the money, he was able to set up a commercial building at Archers Post as well as a permanent house. He also bought livestock and enrolled for a tours and travels course at Utalii College.

“I am now a tour guide and I get contracts from various tourist lodges within Samburu game reserve, Buffalo Springs and Shaba reserves,” he said.  At just 30, Lengunono manages the building that he has rented out to a trader who owns a bar and several shops. He is also in the process of completing an extended construction at the back of the building.

“The explosion hit me in 1997 when I was just 14,” he says. “Whenever I look at the scars on my hands and body, I feel the pain. I go for treatment once a year, but I think the compensation wiped the tears away.”

Mr Singida Kukuton got Sh850,000 for the loss of his son, Ilnguris. He used the money to restock his cattle shed and also built a permanent house.

“The money I received was less than most other claimants but I rebuilt my life and that of my father,” says Kukuton. Today, he lives in a permanent house and has enough livestock to keep his family going.

Kukuton pities some of the claimants who received huge chunks of money.  “They went out drinking alcohol, engaging in prostitution and all the pleasures they met on their way,” he recalls.