Man killed as he plants bomb at school

A man was killed in Garissa town on Saturday night after a bomb he was trying to plant exploded.

He was planting the improvised explosive on a dais at the Garissa Primary School grounds where political rallies are usually held.

Narc Kenya presidential candidate Martha Karua was set to hold a rally at the venue on Sunday.

The explosion, which was audible from several kilometres away, shook nearby buildings.

Mr Abdimalik Hussein, who lives near the school, said he had just left his house for the shops at about 8pm when he heard the loud blast. He was thrown to the ground and sustained bruises from the impact.

There was heavy gunfire soon after the blast and about 30 minutes later.

The body parts of the bomber, suspected to be of Somali origin, were found scattered at the scene on Sunday morning.

North Eastern provincial police officer Charlton Mureithi appealed to residents to help security personnel in fighting terrorism by reporting suspicious individuals.

“It is indeed worrying to see people causing havoc. Residents need to watch out for any suspicious individuals in their midst and be quick to report them to the police,” Mr Mureithi said.

Police suspect that a pistol recovered at the scene could be the one stolen from two policemen shot dead on one of the main streets in the town last November.

The terrorist attacks are attributed to al-Shabaab, the Muslim fundamentalist group operating in Somalia.

Mr Mureithi said the police are coming up with ways of taming the rising tide of insecurity in the area. He urged residents to work with area leaders to ensure law and security prevails in the region.

Two people died in Dadaab last year when an improvised explosive they were planting on a roadside went off.

About three weeks ago, a businessman was shot and killed while his colleague was severely injured after unknown assailants sprayed their car with bullets.

Mr Mureithi said the police had launched investigations into the incidents.