A crime against Kenya

A crime against Kenya. An affront on the civility of the nation. A real test of our democracy.

Outrageous, cowardly and villainous.The perpetrators must be nailed lest it spreads across the land.

It is what all Kenyans must stand up against.

It is our national duty and enduring debt to the Motherland. It is what is expected of all of us who cherish peace and are haunted by the bad memories of post-election violence.

That was chilling message that sprung from the bloodied soils of Uhuru Park after prayers by anti-Proposed Constitution clergymen and politicians in their league let by Higher Education minister William Ruto.

Flying arsenal

At first police said only 24 people were injured and rushed to hospital for emergency treatment, but by 9pm, their own estimate was five dead and 75 undergoing treatment.

Among the dead were a ten-year-old boy, a woman and a man. That was the crime the injured would, as we too want to know the face(s) behind it.

The two mystery explosions chilled the silence, just after dusk, splitting the ears right in the middle of innocent wananchi eagerly waiting to say ‘Amen’ and start the journey home.

Women, children and men were caught unawares.

Blood trickled from faces, others who took the impact lay on the ground too stunned to stand. It did not matter the stampede around them, the pain was dizzying to the mind and numbing to the ears. They just lay there until help arrived, to find some of them with faces punctured by shrapnel and limbs twisted by the flying arsenal.

Explosive assault

Police later said the explosions were of homemade grenades or petrol bombs, a rarity in Kenya and quite dangerous given how close the country is to the August 4 referendum.

Mr Ruto, who is leading the ‘No’ team was in the rally, having arrived from another ‘No’ meeting in Nyeri, called on police to get to the bottom of the explosive assault. He alleged there were grenades planted in the middle of the surging crowd.

He claimed the tragic end to the meeting as a product of "people hell-bent on forcing a new constitution on Kenyans."

However, he also appealed for calm among Kenyans arguing the incident was unfortunate and must be condemned by all those who treasure peace.

Apart from Ruto, Bishop Margaret Wanjiru and Belgut MP Charles Keter, who were also got caught up in the melee as police dispersed the crowd, gathered at the epicentre of the explosions so as to protect what could be a crime scene.

At first Nairobi police boss Anthony Kibuchi confirmed to journalists at least 24 people were nursing body injuries, with some of the bleeding rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital for emergency treatment.

Teeming crowds

But as the darkness over Nairobi thickened, the story got grimier. The gravity of the situation was discernible from the fact that those who rushed to the scene included Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti and Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere.

Those present describe the prayer meeting as one teeming with crowds and brought together the leading lights of the Christian groups in Kenya.

The questions on many a lip was who was behind it? Police would certainly be trying to establish if it was a deliberate act of sabotage against the review process or another red herring meant to divide national attention. Whatever it will turn out to be, it must seek to map out the footprints of criminality so as to prevent a feeling of de j‡vu from the perpetrators and more bolder and outrageous actions later, or a feeling of anger, and even vengeance, in other parts of the country.

In the process the review dream may go up in smoke and Kenya left more polarised and bitter.

On Sunday Raila said the Government would not leave any stone unturned and promised Kenya the perpetrators would live to regret their monstrous act. He said the government had to part in it and promised swift action.

According to the first figures police kept revising an estimated 60 people were injured, 20 of them directly resulting from the impact of the home made explosive.

In what could have been worse, one of the explosions took place in a section members of the public had already left. But the second one went off in the middle of the crowd near the dais.

The first blast created a small hole and experts said it could not have been a grenade. Police too appealed for calm as investigations progressed.

A witness Otieno Onditi, a freelance photographer who had been taking shots of the event said he heard a blast as prayers were being said by a Bishop Ng’ang’a.

"It was a loud bang which sounded like a tyre burst and it was followed by people running helter-skelter. Bishop Ng’ang’a tried to calm people down saying it was a simple tyre burst and people calmed for while."

Scene combed

"Then there was a second blast which rocked the grounds... I saw people soaked with blood being rushed into waiting cars. I turned on my camera on and took a few pictures," Onditi told The Standard.

Police officers combed the scene with sniffer dogs. Police said the rally was licensed to end at 6pm. Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka expressed regret at the incident and appealed for calm and tolerance and asked Security agencies to carry out thorough investigation.