Update: The notice at the building which prompted the search stated that the building would be bombed at any time.
A bomb scare at a building in Nairobi has seen as a number of Kenyans reach out to social media platforms to follow up on the developments.
Daily Nation was first to report that on Thursday, January 30, Doctor’s Park, in Parklands Nairobi was cordoned off as police conducted an evacuation.
Nairobi Area police boss Philip Ndolo told journalists that a notice near the said building prompted the search.
The officers are also reportedly conducting an intense search of the building located off Limuru Road, for what is suspected to be explosive material.
Third Parklands Avenue has also been sealed off from both sides. Motorists and pedestrians have been urged to avoid the area.
A video obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, shows the Anti Terrorism Police Unit wearing protective gear before heading into the building.
Reports of terror attacks have surfaced numerously in January 2020. National Police Spokesperson Charles Owino, on Sunday, January 12, dismissed a statement that went viral notifying Kenyans of an impending terror attack on 28 prime locations.
The statement, dated Wednesday, January 8, claimed that Kenya was under threat from militia groups due to its close association with the United States.
However, in December 2019, ATPU chief John Gachomo, stated that officers had been sent to conduct surveillance on different facilities around Mombasa and Nairobi.
On Friday, December 27 a vehicle carrying special forces officers from KDF ran over a homemade bomb, killing two of them on the spot and injuring five others.
The attack was followed by another on Sunday, January 5, as Al-Shabaab gunmen attacked Manda Bay Airfield, which is a US training base in Lamu.
On Sunday, January 19, the anti-terror police unit arrested five individuals suspected of orchestrating terror in Nairobi County. The suspects, two Kenyans, a US citizen, and two Somalia nationals, were nabbed while allegedly conducting surveillance at Whiskey River Lounge along Kiambu Road.
On Friday, January 17, while in Mombasa, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a new comprehensive strategy to deal with terror groups such as Al-Shabaab and radical extremism.
The new structure focused on multi-agency coordination, advanced training and equipment upgrades, community involvement and incentives for security officers.
Scenes at Doctor’s Park, Parklands.
