Kenya calls in FBI over police grenade attacks

Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere on Saturday called in United States' Federal Bureau of Investigations to help probe grenade attacks that left three policemen dead.

Mr Iteere, addressing a rare weekend Press conference at his office in Nairobi, said the seemingly coordinated attacks were being taken very seriously by the security agencies.

The first attack, which claimed the life of an Administration Police officer, happened in Nairobi's Eastleigh area when an explosive was thrown into a police Land Rover in a traffic jam.

The two traffic policemen were killed in an ambush during routine duty. Police later engaged the armed thugs in a shootout at Nairobi's Kasarani area.

Mr Iteere revealed that the FBI detectives were scheduled to arrive in the country on Saturday to assist their Kenyan counterparts investigate a possible link between the two incidents in which an administration police officer and two traffic police officers were killed in separate attacks.

“We shall do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of this. We have invited the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to assist in the investigations. We are expecting them to join us later this morning,” the Commissioner of Police said.

The police chief said that the FBI was invited because of their superior forensic capability.

The police boss said that the two incidents will be thoroughly investigated and all criminal involved apprehended.

“We are sending a stern warning to criminals that attacking police officers on duty is an affront to the rule of law and will not be tolerated,” the police boss said.

He cautioned police officers on duty to be more vigilant but said the force was not worried about the attacks.

Detectives have so far collected palm prints of the two Kasarani assailants and recovered a national identification card from the slain suspects.

Police recovered the motorcycle used by the Kasarani attackers, a pistol, twelve rounds rounds of ammunition and several spent cartridges.