- Alexander's death has been surrounded by drama, delays clocking to nine years in search of justice.
- His family who are yet to get closure over his death, only hope justice is served.
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
If there is a day Hillary Martin will never forget, it would probably be May 19, 2012.
This is when she saw her only son Alexander Monson take his last breath while chained to a hospital bed.
And after years of searching for justice, on Monday, Hillary will know the fate of the four men accused of murdering her son.
“I’m anxious, nervous, I cannot sleep at night because I keep thinking of what the outcome will be. It is a bad situation to be in, especially having spent nine years in the court corridors," she said.
Her only hope is for the trial court to serve justice as it deems fit and convict those found guilty of Alexander’s death.
Judge Erick Ogola is expected to give his judgment on the four officers who are accused of murdering Alexander at the Diani police station in Ukunda, Kwale county.
The officers include Naftali Chege, Charles Munyiri, Ismael Baraka and John Pamba.
“I have full confidence with the trial court. I hope there will be convictions. It will break my heart if no one is held responsible for my son’s death.”
Hillary’s fears and anxiety are justified considering how difficult the journey to justice has been for her and her family.
From police cover-ups, intimidations, inquest and the trial, these are just but a few of the things Hillary and her family have undergone to get justice for Alexander.
For Alexander’s father, British aristocrat Lord Nicholas Monson who jetted to Mombasa on Saturday, he has mixed feelings and does not know what outcome to expect.
The last decade, he said has been rough for him probably because of losing Alexander in the hands of the police.
“I was 56 when my son was killed, and I’m now 66. So, it has occupied quite a chunk of my life,” Nicholas said.
Despite all the challenges that came with finding justice, Nicholas did not lose trust in the process.
“I was dedicated to the course and I vowed not to stop unless death took me. And death hasn’t taken me, so here I am,” Nicholas said, his eyes welling up with tears.
Although he had earlier maintained that justice being served for his son would give him closure, on Saturday, as the D-Day neared, he seemed unsure.
“Will it give me closure? I don’t know. I don’t know,” he said.
Hillary recalled the day she was called and informed that Alexander had been arrested and was in police custody.
She said she was in Nairobi but mobilised some of her friends to go and assist Alexander at the station, but they were sent away and told to go back in the morning only for Hillary to receive another call that her son was sick and was being taken to hospital.
She said she got the next flight to Ukunda where she met her son chained on the hospital bed.
“An hour after my arrival at the hospital, Alexander died without saying a word. I just gave him a kiss on the forehead and my boy was gone," she said.
Hillary said Alexander took part of her since she was the only son and had shown interest of pitching camp at their South Coast home.
Alexander had in fact started a mangrove planting project incorporating fishermen in Diani, an idea he had borrowed from a visit in Singapore.
“No parent should lose a child, more so in the hands of people who should protect them. It still hurts but I have learnt to co-exist with the pain," she said.
-Edited by SKanyara