The families of the 32 Kenyans who perished in the Ethiopian airline crash have faulted the government for allegedly not supporting them.
The government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had promised to support the families of those who were killed in the March 10 crash
The families say they are still traumatised and in agony, four months after the crash.
They say the government failed to provide counselling services and to facilitate the processing and issuance of death certificates of their relatives.
Eight members of the 32 families have petitioned the Senate to intervene, saying they are traumatised.
Sammy Muriuki, Eliud Wanja, Davis Karanja, Noah Gachanja, Andrew Ngone, Abdallah Juma, Ednah Njoki, and Peter Muthubi implored the Senate to investigate the matter and make appropriate recommendations to compel the government to fulfil its promise.
All the 157 people aboard the plane – Boeing 737 – en route to Nairobi from Ethiopia, were killed.
“Despite the promise made, we have agonised without basic support for counselling and the pre-requisite post-crash trauma support notwithstanding the fact we were not even able to retrieve our loved one’s remains for burial,” they say in the petition presented in the House by Deputy Speaker Kithure Kindiki.
They said some of them have been forced to seek private counselling at expensive rates.
“The families have agonised to get death certificates to no avail yet this role falls under the purview of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs owing to the fact that the crash occurred in a foreign country,” they said.
Majority leader and Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchuma Murkomen faulted the government for being insensitive to the plight of the families.
“Certain administrative actions should be taken in interim without waiting for a report by the responsible committee to be tabled in the House,” he said.
The petition was committed to the Defence and Foreign Relations committee to probe the matter and report the House.
Minority leader James Orengo urged the committee to summon Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma and her Interior colleague Fred Matiang'i to explain the delays in the issuance of death certificates and provision of counselling services to the families.
Nominated Senator Alice Milgo said it was sad for the government to subject the families to more trauma.
“The amount of trauma is too much yet counselling is too little. Families lost breadwinners and they are still facing challenges getting death certificates to help them process their dues,” she said.
West Pokot Senator Samuel Pogishio said, "A lot of Kenyans were affected. The entire country should have supported these families. When the government promises to do something, it really ought to do so. This Senate must push for this to happen."
Edited by R.Wamochie
