Police taskforce investigates Nairobi church attack

By Julius Mokaya in Nairobi

May 01, 2012

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A security taskforce has been formed to investigate the deadly grenade attack at a church in Nairobi on Sunday (April 29th), in which one person was killed and 14 others injured, authorities told Sabahi.

  • Kenyan police officers secure the site of Sunday's grenade attack at the God's House of Miracles International Church in Nairobi. [Stringer/AFP]

    Kenyan police officers secure the site of Sunday's grenade attack at the God's House of Miracles International Church in Nairobi. [Stringer/AFP]

"A security team comprising members of the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit and the Criminal Investigation Department, with the support of the army, has commenced investigations to ensure the culprit is arrested and the motive of the attack known," said Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere.

Iteere told Sabahi the security team is pursuing leads into the identity and motive of the attacker.

The attack took place at God's House of Miracles International Church at about 7:50 a.m. The church is about three kilometres from the city's Central Business District. The pastor leading prayers was among the injured.

"We do not yet know if the attacker is part of a larger terror network operating in the city or if the attack was due to a dispute involving the land on which the church is built," Iteere said.

He said detectives will continue providing daily updates on the investigations and expressed hope that a final report on the attack will be made public by Friday.

Criminal Investigation Department Director Ndegwa Muhoro told Sabahi that detectives are attempting to reconstruct the image of the attacker based on witness testimonies to cross-reference with pictures of known terror suspects and accomplices in the agency's database. Detectives will show the pictures to worshippers and other witnesses to identify the attacker.

"We are not leaving anything to chance -- whether it be terrorism or any other criminal activity," Muhoro said.

On Sunday, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka described the attack as an act of terrorism, but did not specify which terror group may have been involved.

"This is an act of terrorism. It is sad that they have gone to the extent of attacking people even as they worship. However, we call for calm across the country," Musyoka told journalists after visiting victims at Kenyatta National Hospital, where most of the injured worshippers have been admitted.

Kibet Mengich, Kenyatta National Hospital's communications officer, told Sabahi on Tuesday that 14 victims were admitted to the hospital on Sunday, and ten have since been discharged. "Only three of the victims, whose conditions are still serious, are admitted," he said.

Authorities have cautioned officials at public places to enhance security screenings to thwart terrorist attacks.

"Since last month, we have asked churches, mosques and all other worshipping centres, shopping malls and social halls to beef their security, but a number of them do not seem to have taken the advice seriously," Nairobi Provincial Police Chief Antony Kibuchi told Sabahi.

"We do not screen people here because we believe all are Christians with good intentions," Moris Atsali, a guard at God's House of Miracles International Church, told Kenya's Daily Nation.

Al-Shabaab, which has links with al-Qaeda, has carried out a number of attacks in Kenya since October 2011, after Kenyan forces entered Somalia to fight the group. Last month, al-Shabaab threatened retribution for the continued presence of Kenyan troops on Somali land.

The government blamed al-Shabaab for two attacks in March. At least six people were killed and more than 60 injured when a grenade was hurled at passengers waiting to board buses on March 10th at Kenya's biggest bus station in Nairobi. On March 31st, a grenade was tossed at an open-air church gathering near Mombasa, killing one person and injuring 16 others. Al-Shabaab has not been tied to Sunday's attack.

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Reader's Comments

  • kevin t mwatela
    May 2, 2012 @ 11:07:15PM

    i cant understand y one has 2 kill innocent people, but whatever u may do 2some1, just know dat the Lord is WATCHING!! so u kill by the sword--------- u'l die by the sword.so watch out hence ur caught unaware!

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