Bomb-making material seized in police operation

By CYRUS OMBATI

Nairobi, Kenya: The ongoing crackdown in Eastleigh, Nairobi bore fruit when police recovered what they termed as bomb-making material in a house but failed to arrest the tenant.

Police carrying out the operation said they recovered chemicals and materials that are used to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other items from a house on Seventh Street.

Nairobi police boss Benson Kibue, who is overseeing the exercise, said they are looking for a Somali refugee identified as Ibrahim Aden Ibrahim, 30, in connection with the recovery.

Kibue said Ibrahim is supposed to be in Dadaab refugee camp, but is suspected to be one of the occupants of the house.

“He is supposed to be in a refugee camp, but he is here now with bomb making material. We do not know where he planned to use the explosive,” said Kibue.

The police boss added they also recovered Al-Shabaab terror group training materials from the house, which also served as an Islamic institute.

Suspect escaped

Witnesses said police were forced to break into the house after realising the occupant was not in as earlier anticipated in the 5am incident. He is suspected to have escaped minutes before police got there.

The operation continued as local leaders protested against it saying it was discriminatory and was aimed at harassing members of the Somali community.

Up to 400 more people had been rounded up by yesterday.

“It is interesting that some of those who have Kenyan IDs cannot utter a word in English or Swahili. We will investigate all this,” said Kibue. They were all taken to Kasarani police station and police said some of them will appear in court today to face various charges.

Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo insisted the operations will continue, adding that police have stepped up the war against crime and especially terrorism.

“The operation is ongoing in Nairobi, Mombasa and other counties. This national operation will continue until every Kenyan is safe and we are not relenting,” said Kimaiyo in a statement to newsrooms.

A section of leaders drawn from various political, business and religious circles, accused police of profiling Muslims in general and Somalis in particular following a spate of terror attacks in Nairobi.

They also accused police of planting evidence on some of those arrested. But police called for patience as they conduct the operation in a place they claim is the ‘base’ of all terror activities.