By CYRUS OMBATI
The explosion that killed three people and injured five others in Nairobi’s Eastleigh on Wednesday night was an improvised bomb, police said on Friday.
Sources close to a team handling the probe into the explosion said a preliminary analysis of the scene point to a home-made bomb that may have exploded accidentally.
“Initially, we thought it was a gas cylinder that exploded after a freak accident in the area but we have found out it was an Improvised Explosive Devise (IED) that may have been planted in a house,” said the source.
Those injured and admitted at the Kenyatta National Hospital have multiple injuries that point to pellets that may have emanated from a grenade.
Witnesses and police had earlier claimed the cylinder exploded after a speeding vehicle hit a man who was pushing it on a cart throwing it to the ground near St Theresa Catholic church on Juja Road.
Those who died include two women and a man, police said.
Locals said they heard a loud explosion as the accidents occurred in the same area.
“There was an accident followed by the explosion,” said Joseph Mwaniki, a resident.
Nairobi Area PPO Anthony Kibuchi told The Standard they are investigating beyond the gas explosion claims.
“Bomb experts are now handling the case,” he said.
Officers from anti-terror unit arrived at the scene, cordoned it and collected samples for testing and analysis, which have since confirmed the theory of an IED.
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