Man who abandoned bag with plain papers outside Nairobi building arrested

Nairobi, Kenya: A man who abandoned a bag with plain papers outside a building in Nairobi and later called police claiming it was a bomb has been arrested.

The suspect was arrested after police connected calls he made to them and the time the bag he had abandoned near Safaricom Building along Waiyaki Way was discovered two weeks ago.

CCTV cameras mounted on the nearby buildings captured the suspect as he arrived with the bag and abandoned it later. He then escaped while checking if he had been spotted, police who have seen the footage say.

He took almost 20 minutes to call police and claim there was a bomb abandoned in a bag at the building.

Police responded minutes later with sniffer dogs and cordoned the area but discovered the bag had plain papers. It was then that they reviewed the footage and traced the caller and arrested him.

"We have positively identified him through the CCTV cameras and the calls he made. He will take plea in court on Tuesday, said acting head of anti-terrorism police unit John Mulaulu.

Mulaulu described the suspect as a con out to cause alarm in the city. He encouraged individuals to mount the cameras to monitor crime activities.

"We need as many cameras as possible to help in monitoring such issues," said Mulaulu.

Police have in the past months been responding to such incidents only to discover the bags abandoned have Bibles, Korans and other personal effects.

Terror threats are in the meantime real.

The government has launched a programme aimed at mounting cameras at various places.

A new command centre to coordinate traffic operations and crime management using Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in Nairobi is now ready for use.

The Sh437 million integrated cameras is the first step in the new battle to address a number of crimes.

It has 80 screens and a number of telephone lines, which the officers manning it will be using to coordinate operations in the city.

More than 51 cameras have been installed within the city enabling live video streaming as well as recording for future necessities.

The areas covered include: Kenyatta National Hospital, Country Bus Station, Muthurwa Market, Kirinyaga Road, Gikomba and Machakos among other major roads.

The cameras are also positioned at the city's Kencom House Bus stage, Ambassador bus stop, Railways terminus, Tea Room, Odeon Cinema, KICC, Afya House, Macmillan Library, Gill House, City Market, GPO, Cross Road, OTC, and Nyayo House among other locations.