On 4 May 2014, two
improvised explosive devices
An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached to a detonating mechan ...
exploded on buses in
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...
,
Kenya
)
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, map_caption =
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, capital = Nairobi
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, largest_city = Nairobi
...
, killing three people and injuring sixty-two.
Both of the bombs exploded northeast of Nairobi on the
Thika Road
Thika Thika (pronounced ฮธika is an industrial town and a major commerce hub in Kiambu County, Kenya, lying on the A2 road 42 kilometres (26 mi) Northeast of Nairobi, near the confluence of the Thika and Chania Rivers. Although Thika town is ...
, an eight-lane
controlled-access highway, and detonated apart. Twenty of the wounded were in
critical condition
Medical state is a term used to describe a hospital patient's health status, or condition. The term is most commonly used in information given to the news media, and is rarely used as a clinical description by physicians.
Two aspects of the patien ...
after the blast.
Background
In October 2011, Kenya deployed soldiers in
a coordinated operation with the
Somali military against the
Al-Shabaab militant group in southern
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐; ar, ุงูุตูู
ุงู, aแนฃ-แนขลซmฤl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
.
Al-Shabaab vowed to launch attacks in Kenya in retaliation.
In April 2014, Kenyan authorities announced a security operation, after several terrorist attacks.
On 3 May 2014, three people were killed and fifteen injured
when a
hand grenade was detonated inside a bus in
Mombasa
Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...
, Kenya.
In another incident which occurred on the same day, an improvised explosive device was deposited within a bag on a beach.
The bag was noticed, and no casualties were reported after "people took cover".
Attack
On 4 May 2014, when the 45-seater buses were "packed with commuters",
two bombs exploded on different buses around apart.
The explosions occurred outside Safari Park hotel, and in an underpass next To TRM Mall. According to Kenya's National Disaster Operations Centre, twenty of the injured people were in a critical condition after the blast.
Photos showed that one bus had a large hole in the side, and the other had its doors and windows blown off.
The majority of casualties were women and children.
Members of DPS-TRU (Diplomatic Protective Services - Tactical Response Unit) and DPS-K9 (Explosive Detection Unit) that were at the TRM mall at the time of explosion, raced and assisted the wounded, scanned and secured the bus for evidence as well ordered public to keep away from the bus as there was possibility of secondary explosive device. About 30-40 min later they handover it to GSU (General Service Unit) which arrived to the scene.
Initial responses
Reports differed over the nature of the explosive devices, with some saying the "homemade explosive devices" were grenades.
Initial casualty reports were of two dead and twenty-seven wounded,
but that number increased as time progressed. No group or individual came forward to claim responsibility for the attacks. However, the Kenyan government blamed
Al-Shabaab for the incidents.
Reactions
Kenyan Vice President William Ruto
William Kipchirchir Samoei Arap Ruto (born 21 December 1966) is a Kenyan politician who is serving as the fifth and current president of Kenya since 13 September 2022. Prior to becoming president, he served as the 11th deputy president of Ken ...
stated that "security agencies are in pursuit of the perpetrators of this heinous and cowardly act",
while
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta
Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (born 26 October 1961) is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022.
Kenyatta was chosen by Daniel Arap Moi as his preferred successor, but Kenyatta was defeated by opposition le ...
said that "the terrorists will be treated as the vicious
criminals they are".
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nairobi bus bombings
2010s in Nairobi
Attacks in Africa in 2014
Bus bombings in Africa
Improvised explosive device bombings in Africa
May 2014 crimes in Africa
May 2014 events in Africa
Terrorist incidents in Kenya in 2014
2014 Nairobi bus bombings
2014 murders in Kenya