PH
Fear and tension gripped worshipers at Kianyaga Catholic Church in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County after a homemade bomb was discovered at the church’s entrance.
The suspected explosive device was found by a security guard in the morning after worshipers started arriving for a mass service.
Gichugu OCPD, Mohammed Huka accompanied by a contingent of police officers rushed to the scene and sealed it off awaiting bomb experts from Nyeri County to arrive.
The panicked worshipers led by Father Simon Kanji later held a mass some 100 metres from the church.
The man of God expressed concerns that terrorists were targeting places of worship and asked Christians to be on high alert.
“It is by the grace of God that we are safe,” he said.
The bomb experts arrived moments later and dismantled the device before declaring the area safe.
The police boss said the object was highly explosive, adding that it could not be immediately established who had planted it.
“It is an explosive and we have launched investigations with a view of establishing who had planted it there and what was their motive,” said Huka.
Area MP Njogu Barua, who also visited the scene, asked police to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring those responsible to book.
He termed the incident as grave matter intended to cause bloodshed.
In December last year, another explosive device was found inside Kutus Catholic Church, in the same constituency.
