NAIROBI, KENYA — They call themselves the forgotten victims of Al Qaeda's deadliest terrorist strike against U.S. interests abroad.
Survivors of the Aug. 7, 1998, U.S. Embassy bombing in Nairobi will gather today at the blast site for a 10th anniversary memorial service to honor the 218 people killed and 5,000 injured. Twelve Americans were among the dead.
But amid the sorrow and prayers, victims also plan to voice their anger -- not just at the terrorists but at the U.S. and Kenyan governments, which they accuse of abandoning them.
While many of the Sept. 11 victims in the U.S. have received between $1 million and $2 million in payouts, Kenyan victims of the 1998 attack, and those who suffered after a simultaneous strike against the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania, complain that their compensation, which ranged between $400 and $9,000, was sorely inadequate.
"We are struggling to cope with life, but nobody wants to be bothered with us anymore," said Paul Wala, chairman of a victims advocacy group.
He said some of the injured use wheelchairs and that many are blind. A large number have been unable to return to work, forcing their families into poverty amid ongoing medical and rehabilitation bills. Most struggle with chronic aliments, including back pain, fatigue and depression.
Victims are also outraged by what they perceive as a lack of respect from the U.S. and Kenyan governments.
For 10 years, victims have had to organize and fund their own annual memorial services. The Kenyan government hasn't sent an official representative since 1999, though this year Prime Minister Raila Odinga is expected to speak. Wala's group is scrambling for private donations because many victims can't afford the bus fare to attend the downtown ceremony.
U.S. officials, meanwhile, are hosting a private memorial service across town. Wala bristled at the dueling services.
"On the 10th anniversary, more than ever, we should all be together," he said. "But U.S. officials fear coming to our service because they will be embarrassed or asked about the compensation."
His group is seeking $1 million per victim, insisting that the U.S. bears responsibility. "If it weren't for the U.S. Embassy in Kenya, we would not have been bombed."
U.S. Ambassador Michael E. Ranneberger expressed sympathy for the victims' plight, but disputed claims that they have not received American support.
