Police in Nyeri have today detonated a 70-year old colonial-era bomb inside Aberdare National Park near the legendary but no longer operational Treetops Hotel.
The bomb is believed to have been dropped from the air at the onset of freedom struggle by the British military with the target of wiping out Mau Mau fighters who were using the forest as their hideout.
David Chege, a bomb expert attached to DCI and based in Nyeri
states that the bomb, otherwise referred to as Unexploded Ordinance (UXO) had the potential of bringing down a 5-storey building with a slight mishandling.
The bomb that weighed approximately 5 Kgs may according to this expert have failed to explode
after finding a soft ground when it was dropped.
It was discovered by KWS rangers on patrol inside the park who alerted the police for action.
For the past few weeks, experts have detonated four such bombs that are commonly found in the areas around Mount Kenya and Aberdare forests.
During the demolition exercise, Chege took time to sensitize KWS rangers on dos and don'ts upon recovery of such UXOs for own safety.
He urged locals in the said areas to always call the police after finding such, warning them never to touch, hit or carry them as this may trigger an explosion that can lead to loss of lives.
The bomb is believed to have been dropped from the air at the onset of freedom struggle by the British military with the target of wiping out Mau Mau fighters who were using the forest as their hideout.
David Chege, a bomb expert attached to DCI and based in Nyeri
states that the bomb, otherwise referred to as Unexploded Ordinance (UXO) had the potential of bringing down a 5-storey building with a slight mishandling.
The bomb that weighed approximately 5 Kgs may according to this expert have failed to explode
after finding a soft ground when it was dropped.
It was discovered by KWS rangers on patrol inside the park who alerted the police for action.
For the past few weeks, experts have detonated four such bombs that are commonly found in the areas around Mount Kenya and Aberdare forests.
During the demolition exercise, Chege took time to sensitize KWS rangers on dos and don'ts upon recovery of such UXOs for own safety.
He urged locals in the said areas to always call the police after finding such, warning them never to touch, hit or carry them as this may trigger an explosion that can lead to loss of lives.
