Outcry as Busia lethal malaria jab victims get millions – Weekly Citizen

The 28 victims and families of botched malaria vaccination at Akichelesit health centre in Teso North subcounty in 2015 want the county government to come clean and explain the legal fees paid to the lawyer that represented them. The legal fee has been kept as a secret between their lawyers and county legal department raising fears that the compensation has been turned into a cash cow. Further, complaints of discriminations in compensations have emerged.

The families received Sh42,880,000 as part of their compensation by Busia county government. The cheques were issued to parents of the victims by Busia deputy governor Moses Mulomi. The victims are also concerned that after taking years for compensation instituted, the county may decide not to clear the Sh19, 120,000 million balance since they had already received part of payments. The said balance is to be paid during the next financial year.

Weekly Citizen has been reporting ever since the matter was filed before court and assessment on compensation depending on the degree of injury. According to the court ruling, 17 out of the 28 children did not suffer physical injuries. Five suffered 20pc injuries with the remaining five suffering 5pc injuries. The victims’ were represented by lawyer Bernard Ombui.

Parents of the victims for years have engaged the county government using various means including demonstrations in order to ensure that they are compensated. In her ruling in 2017, Busia resident magistrate Josephine Maragia ruled that the children were victims of professional negligence and proper diagnosis was not done and whoever injected them was not a competent medical practitioner. Maragia directed that the victims of the botched injections be compensated to the tune of Sh42 million by the County Government of Busia.