Politicians have in the past neglected citizens’ rights and their cases overlooked as they walk freely. The poor are intimidated for they don’t have the ‘power’ to fight for their rights. Many are the cases which involve ‘big men’ where the ‘small’ ones always find themselves on the losing end. As it is in the case of Meru governor,Kiraitu Murungi ,since he might find himself in jail for failing to pay one woman, Vincate Makena Ksh. 2,354,790 as ordered by court.
Samwel Koome Githae , county government driver is said to be responsible of a fatal accident which claimed Vincate’s husband, Simon Kiunga Mwanja’s life. On the night of June 24, 2017, Koome was cruising the Maua-Meru road in the deputy governor’s official car when he crashed Kiunga who was a bread seller to death near the Meru Teachers College at 3am. This forever changed the lives of his family members.
To date, Kiunga’s widow is seeking to have Kiraitu committed to civil jail for failing to honor the court ruling on the compensation. She says, ”They have made my life one miserable hell in which I live like a wild bird unsure of what tomorrow brings,” adding that her brief employment as a casual labourer was terminated by the county government last year.
She can barely make ends meet and finds it difficult to keep pace with the bread vending job she inherited. Her poor state of life has caused her son to return to Standard Eight even though he secured 310 marks in the last Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and a high school slot, ”Since my husband died, we have shifted houses five times, they killed my husband and now they want me to have no future.”
Her lawyer Elijah Ogoti has accused the county government of being heartless and for refusing to pay the widow. Through frustration and pity for the poor woman’s life the lawyer has filed an application at the chief magistrate’s court to commit Kiraitu Murungi to civil jail. The case comes up for hearing today.
Does it mean the poor will always be neglected?