A traffic police officer retired 11 years ago after acquiring disabling injuries while on duty has moved to court seeking compensation.
Appearing before Thika Resident Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo, Samuel Ngunjiri, 36, sought to compel the court to revisit his case with the owners of a Thika-Nairobi Matatu that knocked him more than a decade ago and to date has not been compensated.
Ngunjiri narrated to the court how on February 25, 2004 he, along with three other officers, were on duty along the two lane highway when he waved down a Matatu registration number KAB 918A for speeding.
The matatu driver made as if to stop but sped off knocking him unconscious. He suffered broken limbs and a severe head injury and was hospitalised at the Thika Level 5 Hospital for two years and later moved to Kenyatta National Hospital. However upon release from hospital, he was terminated from police service on medical grounds.
He told the court that he has incurred heavy medical costs and was now seeking that the court re-opens the case that was halted eight years ago for lack of witnesses. He also wants the Matatu owner compelled to produce his driver and tout who went into hiding immediately after the accident.
Ngunjiri told the court that he has been in and out of hospital ever since and that for about three years has been bedridden forcing him not to follow up the case causing all the witnesses to give up.
Justice Onsarigo called for the revisiting of the case and set April 23 as the mention date.