Kenya: City bus blast leaves two dead

By a Staff Writer

NAIROBI---At least two people were confirmed dead and scores of others injured following a blast that rocked a Kampala-bound bus as passengers boarded it in Nairobi’s River Road area. The 7.40 PM blast caught passengers and the staff of the bus company unawares. The bus, christened Kampala Coach, was almost ready for departure when three men suddenly forced their way in, ignoring the mandatory security check.

“A struggle ensued between our security staff and the three men, which resulted in the box they were carrying to drop down, which was followed by a loud explosion,” said Mr Jamal Mohammed, the manager of the bus company.

One of the dead included a man who tried to force his way in. Had the bomb gone off inside the bus, the consequences would have been far more serious.

Although the attack came only hours after the Ugandan government put the country on high security alert following threats from Somalia’s al-Shabaab militia, Kenya’s Commissioner of Police Mathew Iteere said it was too early to say whether the attack was related to earlier terrorism warnings in the region.

In July, 76 people were killed as they watched the World cup finals in two of Kampala’s popular night spots. Al-Shabaab militias claimed responsibility for the blast.

Al-Shabaab have vowed to carry out attacks on Uganda and Burundi for sending troops to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to protect the fragile Transitional Federal Government (TFG).