Kenya’s High Court has dismissed a long-running legal challenge seeking to hold the government responsible for alleged security failures surrounding the 1998 bombing of the United States (US) embassy in Nairobi.

In its ruling, the court found that the state could not be held liable for the attack, dealing a significant blow to survivors and families of those killed who have spent nearly three decades pursuing accountability and redress.

The August 7, 1998 bombing, carried out by al-Qaeda operatives, claimed the lives of more than 200 people and injured thousands, most of them Kenyan civilians. It remains one of the deadliest terror attacks in Africa’s history.

Those behind the petition argued that Kenyan authorities failed to take adequate preventive measures despite warnings of potential threats, contending that this amounted to a violation of citizens’ rights. They had sought compensation and a declaration acknowledging state responsibility.

The court, however, ruled that the bombing constituted an act of terrorism planned and executed by external actors, and that there was insufficient evidence to directly attribute the alleged security lapses to the Kenyan government.

The decision has been met with deep disappointment among victims’ groups, many of whom say they continue to live with the physical, psychological and economic consequences of the attack.

The Nairobi bombing, which occurred almost simultaneously with an attack on the US embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, marked a turning point in the global fight against terrorism and exposed serious security vulnerabilities across the region.

–ChannelAfrica–