August 7, 1998, is a day that will be marked forever in Kenyans’ minds as it marks the U.S. Embassy bombing that left 213 people dead and more than 4,000 others wounded.
Twenty-two years later, Peter Njioka, who was then owner of a consultancy firm, told the sad tale of how he lost something in his life.
During a recent episode of Engage Talk, Njioka explained that he had just stepped into the building on that fateful day, waiting to catch a lift when the incident happened.
“I was just from a meeting with a lawyer and five minutes to 10:00 am, I was at the entrance of Ufundi Cooperative House. I really cursed the lift because it was taking too long and I wanted to get to the office faster and prepare for my next meeting, Njioka explained.
“Within minutes, I heard the loudest blast, not once but twice. I fell down and the next thing I saw was myself in a church, praying,” he continued.
It’s only after he left the church that passers-by told him the American embassy was bombed and Ufundi Cooperative House flattened.
Njioka realised he and his business partners had lost everything they had been working for, including computers and certificates of education.
He discovered that his business associates and staff were in the office at the time of the blast.
“We avoided discussing the people. Six of our staff, two interns and my partner who was waiting for the visitors, were all inside the office.
“The next day, we went back to the site. We realised we could not see any of our people. We went to all hospitals and people just kept telling us, can you look for them in the morgue, if you cannot find them,” he narrated.
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