Two soldiers arrested with grenades after explosion in Bomet

Kenya Army soldiers detained after bar explosion. [iStock]

Two Kenya Army soldiers were arrested at Chebole trading center in Sotik, Bomet County as police investigate an explosion at a bar on Saturday night.

According to a police report made at Matarakwa Police Post via Occurrence Book no. 8/10/11/2023 at around 8.50 pm, the two identified as Private Alphonse Rotich and Peter Kibet were arrested at Daima bar and restaurant following the explosion at Chebole trading center.

The arrest was made after a village elder Noah Kimutai reported two loud explosions at the trading which he described as gun shots.

When police arrived at the scene, they recovered two grenade pins suspected to be from the grenades that had exploded earlier and a black bag containing 4 grenades make NF24 48mm sound grenades and other personal effects belonging to Rotich.

Police said Rotich who is stationed at the 21KA in Nyanyuki was on a weekend off while Kibet of 17KA based in Modika Garissa was on leave.

The motive of the two was not clear but detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Anti-Terror Unit have been called in to interrogate the two soldiers.

They are currently held at Mutarakwa Police Post under the right security. None was injured during the explosion.