Thursday, October 27, 2011

Police blow up car in city bomb scare as security agents remain on high alert



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Jennifer Muiruri I NATION The boot of a vehicle that was blown off by the bomb squad in Kayole on October 26, 2011.
Jennifer Muiruri I NATION The boot of a vehicle that was blown off by the bomb squad in Kayole on October 26, 2011. 
By FRED MUKINDA fmukinda@ke.nationmedia.co.ke, newsdesk@ake.nationmedia.com
Posted  Wednesday, October 26  2011 at  22:00
IN SUMMARY
  • Hundreds of residents scamper to safety after explosions rock matatu terminus in city estate
Police on Wednesday blew up a car abandoned by the roadside that was thought to have been rigged up with explosives.
An unidentified person, who had parked it at the busy Masimba matatu terminus in Kayole, had claimed it would explode and “kill many people.”
Officers from the police bomb disposal unit first examined the car with the help of sniffer dogs and after failing to detect any explosives, used their own devices to force the boot open.
The explosion ripped the boot as hundreds of residents scampered for safety.
The scene is near the house where 13 grenades were found after police raided a house and arrested its owner on Tuesday evening.
One of the experts who wired the explosive, and detonated it while 100 metres away was wearing bomb kit; heavy clothing that included a helmet.
The police action ended four hours of anxiety, during which the area had been cleared as terrified residents watched from a distance.
The car, a cream Nissan Sunny, was abandoned there at noon and its wreckage towed away at 4.30pm.
Officers from Kayole Police Station had cleared the busy terminus, cordoned off an area of about 200 metres on either side of the car for four hours until bomb experts arrived.
Kayole police boss Moses Lubisia said the owner of the vehicle – KAC 256D – had been identified.
Mr Lubisia added the man would be charged with various offences, because “he had given false information, causing anxiety, panic and fear”.
After parking the car, the man had flagged down a matatu and hopped in.
When he claimed the car would explode, Mr Lubisia told the Nation, he was loud enough and many people heard him.
Inside the vehicle, police found two 20-litre plastic containers and rugged paper bags.
Meanwhile a security cordon has been thrown around the country as the government moves to thwart possible terrorist attacks by Al-Shabaab.
Security patrols were enhanced in various parts of the country yesterday especially in government offices, public places and major highways in the wake of two grenade attacks in Nairobi that left a man dead and dozens injured on Monday.
The threats assumed more significance yesterday after police were forced to blow up a car that had been abandoned by a man who claimed that it was laden with explosives and would kill “many people.”
The incident occurred in Kayole estate, Nairobi, a day after a man was arrested with 13 grenades.
A spot check by the Nation established that owners of shops, hotels, restaurants, bars and public transport vehicles in Nairobi had hired security officers armed with metal detectors to screen patrons and passengers before admitting them into their premises or vehicles.
At the Holy Family Basilica, the Nation found security officers at the entrance to the main church hall screening worshippers going for evening prayers.
“This is the first time we have brought in security officers to screen worshippers because we are alive to the threat posed by terrorists. We have however not noticed a drop in the number of worshippers,” Father Calistus Oduor said.
Nairobi’s two main public transport companies, Citi Hoppa and Double M said they had hired security guards to screen passengers before boarding their vehicles.
Drop in passengers
They reported a dramatic drop in the number of passengers since the Al-Shabaab warned of retaliatory attacks in Kenya.
“Since last week, there has been a significant drop in the number of passengers using our buses, especially at night. Most commuters are now leaving town as early as 2pm,” Double M inspector Job Nato said.
Similar measures were put in place by Citi Hoppa.
“We were forced to buy these detectors after we noticed a sharp drop in the number of passengers who were using our buses since last week. Passengers want to know their security is guaranteed,” an inspector with the bus company, Ms Beatrice Nyambura, said.
Even with increased police surveillance, police commissioner Mathew Iteere said the alerts should be maintained.
CID director Ndegwa Muhoro said Kenyans should avoid visiting “non-essential public places.”
Police further appealed to wananchi to report anything suspicious, such as abandoned luggage.
Mr Muhoro said that on many occasions, information on “suspicious characters or items” was not true but added, “it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
At the Coast, Mr Iteere said there were more than 2,000 hotels and resorts frequented by tourists and all had been clustered and teams of police officers assigned to them.
He said police had visited businesses in the central business district and advised traders on how to ensure safety for their clients.
A spot check by the Nation revealed extra security measures in places that Kenyans would otherwise walk in and out without being bothered.
In Coast, the Provincial Administration announced that no security officer would be allowed to go on leave in the wake of the security threat.
Regional Commissioner in charge of southern area Nelson Marwa said adequate personnel, both in uniform and plainclothes, had secured all critical government installations and other public sites.
Mr Marwa said officers had been stationed at the Likoni ferry crossing, Moi International Airport, the port, Nyali bridge, and Makupa Causeway, among other public places.
At Bima Towers and the NSSF buildings where most government offices are located, security officers were given strict instructions to screen anybody entering the buildings and detain for further questions any suspicious persons.
Mr Marwa said police had also been posted to all parts of the region to strengthen the security situation.
At Kibera law courts in Nairobi, the courtrooms, which are usually full, were almost empty as only those who had cases scheduled for hearing were allowed in.
At Busia border point, police were ordered to search all vehicles and screen people to guard against possible entry of weapons into the country.
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