Nairobi, July 29 -- The government has been sued over more than Sh20 billion in unpaid insurance benefits allegedly owed to families of deceased or disabled public servants, including teachers and police officers.

A petition filed at the High Court in Nairobi by John Gitonga claims successive administrations failed to provide mandatory insurance cover and settle death, disability and work injury claims for hundreds of thousands of civil servants, denying beneficiaries entitlements guaranteed by law.

The suit names the Treasury, Social Health Authority (SHA), Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), Public Service Superannuation Fund (PSSF), Public Service Commission, Teachers Service Commission (TSC), Judicial Service Commission, National ...