Police investigating claims that child hurled grenade injuring man in Garissa

Garissa, Kenya: Police are investigating claims a child hurled a hand grenade that injured a man in Garissa Town Sunday night.

The man was injured in the hand when the child who is suspected to be a follower of Al-Shabaab militant group threw a grenade at a group of residents in Bula Punda area, Garissa Town.

Police and witnesses say the grenade was thrown by a child who was angered by the man’s behaviour of talking on mobile phone loudly.

According to North Eastern regional CID boss Musa Yego, the attacker was a child. He said the victim told them the attacker was angered by his mode of talking.

“We want to know if it is true the attacker was a child and how he got the explosive. He threw it as some of the residents tried to inquire what he was hiding under his clothes,” said Yego.

Earlier on, the residents had raised the alarm after they spotted the boy and some men behaving suspiciously near a Kenya Power sub-station.

The 8pm incident was the latest in a series that have happened in the area. The injured man was rushed to hospital with arm injuries. He was treated and discharged.

Pundits say if the claims are true, it could mean the militants who have been on the loose in the area are now using children to attack targets, which may complicate the security situation there.

The attack came a day after suspected Al-Shabaab gunmen killed a police officer and injured another on Saturday afternoon at Dagahaley in Dadaab refugee camp.

The injured officer is still in hospital. The deceased was hit in the neck and died on the spot. Last Saturday, militants hijacked a bus and killed 28 people in Mandera County, most of whom were teachers leaving the area for holidays.

The incident will heighten pressure on the Jubilee government to act on runaway insecurity in the country.

The government is under pressure to address worsening security situation in the country.