Unattended box causes panic at Odeon in Nairobi

The barricade at Odeon in Nairobi, where a box was left unattended, causing panic about the presence of a bomb, January 28, 2019. PHOTO | COURTESY

By  Stella Cherono  &  Pauline Kairu

What you need to know:

  • The box had earlier been left at the entrance of the Odeon Cinema building, just metres from the scene of a blast that rocked the street on Saturday evening.
  • Guards at the building said the one on night duty found it at about 5am and that they moved it after searching in vain for the owner.

Business on Latema Road in Nairobi's city centre came to a standstill at around midday on Monday over a metallic box left unattended on the kerb of the busy street.

Officers from the Bomb Disposal and Hazardous Devices Unit of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations took it for analysis.

The box had earlier been left at the entrance of the Odeon Cinema building, just metres from the scene of a blast that rocked the street on Saturday evening.

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MOVE

Guards at the building, who declined to be named, said the one on night duty found it at about 5am and that they moved it after searching in vain for the owner.

“The box was old and seemed heat-scorched but was locked with a new padlock," said the day guard.

"We asked around the owner but didn't find the person. After some minutes of tension the guards decided to move it to the road."

TENSION

Tension gripped shop attendants in nearby buildings but passersby oblivious of the probable danger milled around and took pictures. They remained there until police arrived and sealed off the area.

John Munene, a matatu route supervisor at the neighbouring Lopha Sacco stage, said plain-clothe police officers arrived at around 9am but took long to clear the stage.

“They cordoned off the whole area from about 10am to midday, suspecting that the box had a bomb, he said, adding people he believed were bomb experts took the package away at around noon.

The caretaker of the building declined to speak on what they had seen on the CCTV cameras but it was said that police requested the footage for checks.

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