Colonial era bomb recovered at school compound in Tharaka-Nithi
A detective holds the bomb recovered by construction workers at Kiang’ondu Primary School in Tharaka-Nithi County. The workers dug the bomb from the road leading to Mount Kenya forest which is being tarmacked. PHOTO | KEVIN NGAI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Police recovered the device at Kiang’ondu Primary School playground after being informed by road contractors.
- OCPD Beatrice Kiraguri said the explosive seemed old and is suspected to have been used by the colonialists during the Mau Mau rebellion.
- The 60mm bomb, she said, could bring down a three-storey building.
- The police boss urged residents to report anything suspicious they encounter on the roadsides or at their homes.
A bomb believed to be from the colonial era was Friday recovered at a school compound in Tharaka-Nithi County.
Police recovered the device at Kiang’ondu Primary School playground after being informed by road contractors.
Workers from Intex Contractors dug the bomb from the road leading to Mount Kenya forest which is being tarmacked.
“Our lorries usually hip the soil at the school playground and upon spreading it we noticed a suspicious metallic object that looked like a bomb and informed the police,” one of the workers said.
Chuka/Igambang’ombe OCPD Beatrice Kiraguri said the explosive seemed old and is suspected to have been used by the colonialists during the Mau Mau rebellion.
During the colonial period Mau Mau fighters used to hide in Kiang'ondu valleys to fight the colonialists.
The police boss said it is suspected there are more similar explosives in the valleys which are yet to be dug out.
The 60mm bomb, she said, could bring down a three-storey building.
The police boss urged residents to report anything suspicious they encounter on the roadsides or at their homes.
