Sunday grenade attacks in Mombasa, Nairobi leave 15 injured

By Philip Mwakio and Cyrus Ombati

Ten-year-old Dominic Maseno being attended to after the Likoni grenade attack, his mother looks on. (Photo:Kevin Odit/Standard)

By Standard Team

Mombasa/Nairobi, Kenya: At least 15 people were injured Sunday night following explosions in Nairobi’s Eastleigh and Likoni in Mombasa in a span of less than two hours.

The Mombasa incident happened at a church compound at around 7pm injuring 12 while that of Nairobi was at a hotel at 8.30pm and three were injured. The Nairobi victims were rushed to nearby hospitals before were later transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital.

Authorities in Mombasa discounted possibilities of any deaths but there were reports some victims were admitted to the Coast General Hospital in critical condition.

Police said six people, including a Class Four pupil Dominic Maseno, 10, and a cleric, Pastor Dominic Osano were among those wounded in what is believed to be a grenade explosion inside the premises of the Earthquake Miracle Ministries church.

Open-air church service

More victims were wounded in a stampede and fire that followed the explosion with some suffering broken limbs and shrapnel injuries.

The last evening incidents raise the spectre of renewed terrorism in the two cities after months of lull.

Reports say the Nairobi explosion resulted from a grenade thrown from a speeding car while the Mombasa one was hurled into the crowd by a person riding on a motorbike.

Mombasa and Nairobi police bosses Aggrey Adoli and Benson Kibui told The Standard no suspects were arrested by last night in connection with the explosions.

By Sunday night experts were collecting evidence at the Mombasa scene to determine the kind of explosion — whether it was a grenade or an improvised explosive device.

Adoli said the 7pm explosion occurred as the faithful were concluding an open-air service at the compound. “We are still on the ground and collecting evidence to determine the cause of the explosion but so far no suspect has been arrested.”