Police recover bomb-making materials at a house in Eastleigh, Nairobi

By Cyrus Ombati

Nairobi, Kenya: The ongoing police swoop in Eastleigh, Nairobi bore fruits when police recovered what they termed as bomb-making materials in a house Sunday morning.

Police carrying out the operation said they recovered chemicals and materials that are used to manufacture Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and other paraphernalia 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 resided at a rented house where the materials were found.

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

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

Witnesses said police were forced to break into the house after realising the occupant was not in as earlier anticipated in the 5am incident. Apparently he escaped minutes before police arrived there.

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

Over 400 people had been rounded up by Sunday with police profiling them using their identification documents.

“It is interesting that some of those who have Kenyan IDs cannot utter a word in English or Swahili. We will investigate all these,” said Kibue. They were all taken to Kasarani gymnasium where the profiling continued.

Police said some of them will appear in court Monday to face various charges.

Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo insisted the operation will continue and said police have increased their efforts to curb levels of 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 who were drawn from various political, business and religious circles accused police of profiling Muslims in general and Somalis in particular following a spate of security incidents.