Abandoned briefcase cause bomb scare in Nairobi

By Cyrus Ombati

An abandoned briefcase caused panic at a busy bus stop in Nairobi on suspicion that it had a bomb.

The black briefcase was abandoned at the busy GPO bus stop and was spotted on Thursday morning by commuters who called police.

Police arrived at the scene and called bomb experts who cordoned the scene before dragging the briefcase to an open field near Laico Regency Hotel along Kenyatta Avenue.

The experts used a detonator to forcibly open the bag and the explosion caused a brief stampede.

But upon opening, the police found a bible, books and pens.

Officers led by Central Police OCPD Krop Lipa sealed the area and said they could not have taken a chance incase the briefcase contained explosive material.

“It seems the owner who could be a student at one of the local colleges forget it. We are tracing him to the college whose name is contained in some of the documents,” said Lipa.

Nairobi has been placed under alert following threats from Al Shabaab that they plan to bomb installations and social places during the Ramadhan period.

More security personnel have been deployed to various places as part of efforts to address the fears. But police keep urging for vigilance.

There are fears the terrorists may attack any place in the country. On Wednesday, six people including three police officers were injured in an explosion in Dagahaley refugee camp in Dadaab. Some of the injured victims were later flown to Nairobi for specialized treatment.