Tragedy as four boys are killed in bomb blast

Five year old Panai Mohammed at the Kenyatta National Hospital. A Good Samaritan rushed him to the hospital after an object that he and other four children were playing with exploded at Marurui in Ngong on May 8, 2011. PHOTO / JENNIFER MUIRURI

By WALTER MENYA wmenya@ke.nationmedia.com AND BENJAMIN MUINDI bmuindi@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Sunday, May 8 2011 at 22:00

In Summary

• Mortar round, designed to kill combat troops, explodes in the faces of unsuspecting little children, none older than nine, who played with it, thinking it was a toy

Four children were killed on Sunday and another seriously hurt when an explosive device they were playing with went off.

The children, aged between six and nine, were taking care of cows at a grazing field in Ole Maroroi Village, Ewaso Kedong, about 25 kilometres north of Ngong Town, when they found the device.

Oblivious of the danger, the children started playing with the device, with tragic consequences.

There was some panic after residents learnt that another group of children had found a similar device and taken it home, some two kilometres from the site of the explosion.

The device, which police described as an anti-personnel bomb — the round fired from a mortar — was almost certainly an unexploded munition from the nearby Ngong Range, used for training by the military and police.

Bomb experts were sent to the scene and once they confirmed that the explosion had been caused by a bomb, a team was immediately sent to secure the one that the other group of children had taken home.

Mr John Salash, who lost two of his sons in the explosion said Stephen Letuya, aged seven, and five-year-old Joel Sintamei, left the house after lunch to graze calves.

“Thirty minutes later, I heard an explosion and on checking, I saw dust rising,” he said.

Rushed to the scene

He rushed to the scene about 100 metres and found five little boys lying motionless, though one was still breathing.

He asked the government to ensure that all unexploded ordinance are cleared after training.

Mr John Mesenga Kuperi said that he lost his only child, five-year-old Boniface Mesenga, who left home around 11am to join his friends.

Another parent, Mohammed Keshu, lost a son while the other was seriously injured. Six-year-old Sunguya Keshu, died on the spot while Panai Keshu was taken to Kenyatta National Hospital in critical condition.

The mortar round that is designed to kill solders, had shredded the curious boys in a powerful explosion.

The experts found the tail fins and some propellant.

Area resident Dickson Ole Ntikoisa said such unexploded munitions were common in the area. His sister lost an arm when a similar device exploded in the same area, he said.

Animals have also been killed, especially by stray bullets from the shooting range, he said. Residents asked the government to relocate the shooting range elsewhere.

The shooting range is about four kilometres from the scene of the explosion. Locals told the Nation that the range has been there since the 1960s and that they normally collect military waste and sell it to scrap metal dealers.

Military Spokesman Bogita Ongeri said he had not been briefed of the incident but said that the range, located in Kajiado North District, was used by the military.

Deputy Police Spokesman Charles Owino Wahongo described the device as a bomb, adding that bomb experts are involved in the investigation.

“We shall also educate the locals on handling suspicious objects they come across,” he said.

Families have previously claimed damages for deaths, blindness, deafness, burns and amputations caused by improper disposed of weaponry.

In July 2002 a deal was negotiated for the payment of £4.5 million (Sh630 million) plus costs to the 233 Kenyan victims injuries by munitions left by British forces in training in Samburu.

ActionAid had contacted British law firm Leigh Day & Co on behalf of the victims.