• Ochanda was attached to the 75 Airforce Unit at the time he sustained a life-threatening injury while on duty.
• During the tragic fall, Ochanda suffered neck injuries and dislocated his spinal cord, leaving him paralysed.
Image: FILE
For more than 35 years, former KDF soldier Isaiah Ochanda has fought to find justice from his sickbed in vain.
However, hope could eventually be beckoning.
This is after the Senate’s National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations Committee directed the Department of Defence (D0D) to pay him Sh11.98 million.
“The committee recommends that the entire amount be paid within six months from the date of tabling of this report,” the committee said.
The panel chaired by Baringo Senator William Cheptumo ordered the CS Aden Duale-led ministry to pay the first instalment not later than the end of this month.
“The Ministry of Defence provides the necessary benefits to the petitioner pursuant to the provisions of Section 6 of the Military Veterans Act, 2022, and provide a status report to the Senate within six months,” the report states.
Ochanda was attached to the 75 Airforce Unit at the time he sustained a life-threatening injury while on duty.
He was training the Kenya wrestling team for the All-Africa Games later that year when he sustained the injury on May 20, 1987.
The impact left him unconscious.
He was subsequently discharged from service on April 13, 1995, on medical grounds.
During the tragic fall, Ochanda suffered neck injuries and dislocated his spinal cord, leaving him paralysed.
While at the Forces Memorial Hospital, Ochanda was advised to seek specialised medical attention in Britain.
Seven days later, he was diagnosed with spinal cord injury. He remained in the hospital until 1989 when he was discharged to recover from home.
The worst thing happened in 1995 when he received a letter discharging him from the service.
While appearing before the committee in a hospital bed, Ochanda said he was informed by his commanding officer to proceed on leave pending his retirement.
“A day before my retirement, I went back to collect my remaining dues [but] they informed me that they would only provide me with a return ticket," he said.
Four months later, he sent his family to follow up on his payment but they were informed that his documents do not exist.
He said he has struggled to get medical discharge benefits in vain.
This forced him to seek redress in court.
On November 14, 2011, the High Court ordered the government to pay him Sh22.91 million but the ministry attempted to persuade him for an out-court settlement of Sh12 million. He declined.
Later, Ochanda, wrote to the Attorney General requesting for a sum of Sh21.91 million, which was rejected by DoD.
And in October 2017, the Principal Secretary for Defence was found in contempt of court and fined Sh5 million. The money remains unpaid.
An arrest warrant was issued against the PS. The order for the fine against the PS was given by Justice Roselyne Aburili in 2017.
To date, DoD has paid him 12.85 million.
“The ministry, vide letter dated February 28, 2024, proposes to settle the outstanding amount of Sh11.58 million in bi-annual instalment of Sh2 million,” the report states.