Why Police cannot arrest Uhuru Park killers

False leads and lack of credible evidence may deny justice for victims of the Uhuru Park blast that claimed six lives, and injured over 100 at a prayer meeting called by church and political leaders opposed to the Proposed Constitution.

Investigations have so far failed to yield results. Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere said that all leads on the incident they have so far received have turned out to be false.

After the attack, police faced mounting criticism for taking too long to respond, and failing to secure the crime scene.
Investigators collect parts of the grenades, which exploded during a prayer rally at Uhuru Park last month. Inset, Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere. [PHOTO: file/STANDARD]


The police boss said investigating detectives were yet to receive useful information since the probe on the June 13 twin blasts began. He said the five people arrested over the same were found to be innocent.

"We followed leads to Kinoo and Isiolo, where people were arrested and questioned, but they were found to be innocent. It was all false information," he said.

One of those who were arrested in Isiolo was found to be an alien not linked to the blasts, and was later charged in court with being in Kenya illegally, while those arrested in Kinoo were released for lack of evidence. Police honed in on them after an informer said he had received a congratulatory short text message (sms) by mistake, which raised his suspicion.

"So many people have come out and given us quite a bit of information. We followed those leads, but hit a wall, which means they are not the correct ones," said Iteere.

New angles

The police boss said detectives were now pursuing new angles to keep the investigations alive.

Iteere added that the detectives had taken statements from 142witnesses and victims, but needed more information to unmask those behind the shocking incident.

He said forensic experts had established that the grenades that used in the attack were made in Russia.

"What we know so far is that they are from Russia, and not from any of our armed forces. Our armed forces do not import such explosives from Russia," said Iteere.

He emphasized that the investigation was still open, and urged anyone with information to contact the police.

The police boss revealed this yesterday while on a tour of Kileleshwa, Kilimani, Karen and Ngong police stations, to see how his officers operate daily.

Iteere said no foreign agents had been linked to the crime as yet.

A team composed of officials from the CID, military and intelligence has been pursuing leads into the incident since it happened at a crusade cum No rally at the Uhuru Park, Nairobi.

The officers have been viewing video clips taken before and after the blasts, as part of their investigations to reconstruct the scene in vain.

They want those who may have taken clips of the meeting using their mobile phones and cameras to give them the footage.

Iteere said the Sh500,000 reward to anyone who may give information that can unravel the blasts has not been withdrawn and urged for more cooperation from the public. He said they want to know the authors of the explosions and motive.

The team headed by head of investigations at CID headquarters Gideon Kimilu, has been focusing on various angles, that include the proponents of the proposed law, those opposed to it, extremists and those who are neither opposed to it nor backing it.

The extremist groups include religious and social gangs like Mungiki sect.

The blasts went off on June 13 at about 6.45 pm, as a group of religious leaders conducted an impromptu fundraiser after the prayer meeting called by those opposed to the proposed law.

The explosions killed six people and injured at least 113 others. The first grenade exploded far from the main dais, the second one near the dais and the third, thought to have been a stun grenade, further away.

Took fingerprints

Police took fingerprints of those killed and interrogated most of the survivors as investigations began.

Police identified those killed in the blasts as Stephene Kamau Waruinge, Bravo Ingasi, Faith Wanjiru, Stephen Maina, David Ireri Mwangangi and Peter Githaiga.

While the other victims died in hospital, Waruinge died in his vehicle where he had rushed to moments after the blasts went off, after being hit by shrapnel in the chest and neck.

Detectives from CID headquarters have so far grilled 10 televangelists who organised the meeting.

Experts in the security industry who had predicted it would to be difficult to know the perpetrators of the crime, will not be surprised by the revelations by Iteere.

It is not the first time that detectives have been unable to unravel a blast of the nature that happened in Uhuru Park almost a month ago.

The organisers of a blast near the Ambassadeur Hotel on June 11, 2007 have never been known to date. The man who carried the explosive died on the spot after being torn to pieces, and his identity was never established.

Police later circulated a picture of a suspect they believed was behind it and the man surrendered, only to be found innocent.