One hurt after explosion rocks busy Nairobi street

Paramedics attend to a man who was injured a¬fter an IED went off on Latema Road, Nairobi, yesterday. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Just a day after the US embassy issued an alert for sustained vigilance, an explosion rocked a Nairobi street sending the public into panic.

An Improvised Explosive Device went off around 7pm along Latema Road moments after a trolley pusher agreed to ferry a package from a man who disappeared from his sight.

The hand-over happened near a bus stop used by matatus that ply the Baba Dogo-CBD route along Latema Road. He was supposed to deliver it to the busy Kenya Cinema area.

Nairobi Central OCPD Robinson Thuku confirmed the the trolley pusher was injured.

“At the junction between Latema and Tom Mboya, the gentleman purported to have left behind the ID, and therefore requested the gentleman to stop as he goes back to fetch it. As he stood there, the box exploded,” Nairobi Regional Police Commander Philip Ndolo explained.

He said the trolley pusher suffered injuries alongside a newspaper vendor who was standing nearby.

Police officers had a hard time controlling curious onlookers. 

“The US Embassy reminds the public of the need for sustained vigilance in public spaces such as shopping malls, hotels, and places of worship,” said the US in a warning issued on Wednesday.