There was panic in Migori County after police intercepted explosive devices under a bridge located along the busy Migori-Soni Road.
According to reports, the explosives were discovered on the evening of Monday, December 15, under River Kuja Bridge by by-passers.
Nyatike County Criminal Investigation Officer Bernard Wamalwa confirmed the discovery, explaining to Kenyans.co.ke that at least seven explosive devices were discovered.
According to Wamalwa, a passerby first spotted a strange wire connected under the bridge and immediately alerted authorities.
"There were seven explosive devices which were carefully laid under the bridge. They looked quote old so they were not planted recently, from our findings," Wamalwa told Kenyans.co.ke.
In the aftermath of the discovery, the area was briefly cordoned off as a bomb unit probed the bridge's surroundings for any other explosive devices.
Wamalwa has since confirmed that the devices found at the scene were a brand of industrial emulsion and watergel explosives used in mining, quarrying, and construction.
Since the products are water-resistant, they are designed for safety blasting operations and cause minimal damage when operating individually.
Authorities in Migori, however, strongly believe the explosives were placed under the bridge with malicious intent, based on the manner in which they were arranged.
"We suspect someone wanted to destroy the bridge because the way they were planted was very unusual. People here know that if this bridge is destroyed, transport from Migori to Soni is paralysed. Maybe someone wanted a tender," Wamalwa added.
The incident mirrored another one in October in Nduma village in Kikuyu, Kiambu County where a farmer discovered a highly explosive mortar bomb while ploughing his land, sparking tension among residents.
The bomb that was discovered is a smoothbore, muzzle-loaded mortar that fires fin-stabilised bombs. Mortars typically fire high-angle indirect shots over short to medium ranges.
Coming from the British 3-inch/81 mm family such as the Stokes and Ordnance ML 3-inch, mortar bombs were invented in World War I and saw use throughout the British Empire
