The police has released a statement with regards to the explosion that took place earlier.
This morning at about 08:15 hrs, a small explosion occurred outside the City Gate Restaurant situation along Moi Avenue outside the city centre. One person was killed and over 30 others were injured. Doctors have confirmed that none of the injuries is life threatening.
Presently, police investigators are pursuing promising leads to ascertain the identity of the perpetrators and possible motives(s) that led to this incident. To begin with, a post mortem is conducted to assist in investigations over the precise cause of death and samples will be sent for further investigations both in local and foreign laboratories.
Additionally, explosives experts and other forensics detectives are going on with investigations. So far, debris from the scene is being examined for traces of explosives. Police are recording statements from persons who were at the scene.
Initial investigations show that the source of the explosion was extremely small. At the scene, only glass windows within a two metre radius were shattered, and injuries sustained are relatively minor. A public service commuter bus which was at the scene had its windscreen shattered and has been driven off to the police yard for further investigations. No traces of combustion or high explosives were detected at the scene.
We understand and appreciate the need to solve such cases expeditiously to allay public concerns that quite often are fanned by rumours or distorted information. It is, however, prudent to be realistic and recognise that all investigations take time. As I told you in my two other press briefings earlier today, we shall periodically provide briefings and updates without jeopardising the conduct of investigations.
I wish to thank all the emergency services for their prompt action, and particularly thank Kenyatta National Hospital, St. John’s Ambulance and others. In a nutshell, our disaster management procedures worked well. Most importantly we are appealing to any person with any information on this incident to contact the police as soon as possible.
Read it in its original form from the Office Of The Government Spokesman site.
Today has just illustrated the double edged nature of pervasive communication like blogs, email and text messaging. There is no doubt that these platforms are powerful tools for communicating information. There is also no doubt that they are powerful tools for spreading disinformation. The rumours and innuendo that have gotten to me have left me speechless. Some of the accounts have received indicate hundreds dead and the whole block leveled. Blame has been laid at the doors of Al Qaeda, clumsily detonated grenades, Mungiki, time bombs, electronically detonated bombs and mobile phone detonated bombs.
Mail servers have been forwarding all these conflicting accounts all day. Many bloggers have wasted no time posting some of these theorems as fact. Safaricom ad Celtel have made a killing today relaying text messages.
What we don’t seem to realize is that:
- The cause of the explosion is yet to be confirmed by those in the know. These happen to be the police. Not the papers. Not the Internet. Not the FM Stations. The police. Regardless of your opinion of them, of all the authorities to listen to, they should be the first.
- Forwarding these rumours of suicide bombers has unnecessarily caused many people to panic
- If it turns out the explosion was a mere gas cylinder, the damage will already have been done. Once you put something on the Internet, there it stays. For instance, do a search for suicide bombers Kenya or suicide bomber Nairobi and see what turns up. Since it is already apparent that sensationalism generally wins over facts, our reputation will have been needlessly sullied
- Blogs, email and text messages, while lending themselves to informing, also lend themselves to abuse.
Until I hear official facts to the contrary, I will hold the opinion that if you emailed, texted or blogged about the explosion crediting it as a suicide bomber/Mungiki/Al Qaeda or any other explanation that has yet to be confirmed, you did yourself, your loved ones and your country a disservice.
