Mystery surrounds the motive of a 50-year-old man who was arrested after he shouted to airport officials at Moi International Airport, Mombasa, that he had a bomb.
After a search of his luggage, police said they found a bomb on Wednesday, February 23.
Harrison Njenga Kiarie,50, was being screened for departure when he shouted at staff he was carrying a bomb in his bag.
It is not clear what motivated him. Police called it bizarre.
Police were called and arrested him.
He was taken into custody. The bomb was kept as an exhibit. It was later to be destroyed.
He was taken into custody pending arraignment.
It is not clear what he wanted to do with the explosive.
Police have kept the incident under the radar as they searched places Kiarie had been for more evidence.
Officials handling the case said they are looking for accomplices.
Cases of terrorism have been on the decline in major urban areas following operations by police and other agencies.
The terror group al Shabaab has been breaching areas near the Kenyan-Somalia border, attacking security agents after setting up improvised explosive devices on the roads.
On Friday February 24, two police officers were killed after their vehicle ran over a bomb along Dadaab-Garissa Road.
Two others were injured.
Earlier this month, while giving a state of security in the country in the past 100 days address, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said they have stepped up the fight against terror.
“We have disrupted many terror plots at source, neutralised and/or arrested dozens of suspected terrorists, and destroyed a huge cache of weapons and explosives that could have badly harmed our people if they were not intercepted.”
“The current crackdown on al Shabaab terror cells in Somalia which is spearheaded by local community leaders with the support of the Federal Government of Somalia has tremendously weakened this militant group,” he said.
He said security agencies are alert to ensure militants do not cross into Kenyan territory to keep them at bay now that this terror group is its weakest.
“We have stepped up our border patrols and upped our surveillance on the proliferation of illicit arms, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances,” he said.
He added they have improved on intelligence gathering to stay several steps ahead of the enemy and are always aware that terrorists only need one lucky break to hurt the country and inflict pain.
“We must always strike first and fast to neutralise them and obliterate their nefarious networks.”
The CS said as hardworking officers in the elite specially trained units remain engaged to keep terror at bay, their colleagues on general duties have helped to significantly reduce the general rate of crime in the country during the past three months.
Read Also:
Davido - Chris Brown is one of my favourite artists to work with