KENYA: Kenyan government vows to hunt down those behind twin blasts in Mombasa and Mtwapa that killed one person and injured dozens

Record ID: 344162

  • Title: KENYA: Kenyan government vows to hunt down those behind twin blasts in Mombasa and Mtwapa that killed one person and injured dozens
  • Date: 2nd April 2012
  • Summary: MTWAPA, KENYA (APRIL 01, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BLAST SCENE, SPEAKERS AND MUSIC SYSTEM FROM THE ATTACKED PRAYER MEETING POLICE OFFICER GUARDING SCENE KENYA'S PRIME MINISTER RAILA ODINGA AND INTERNAL SECURITY MINISTER GEORGE SAITOTI AT SCENE MARKED AREAS WITH EXHIBITS INVESTIGATORS TALKING TO ODINGA AND SAITOTI
  • Embargoed: 17th April 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya, Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Crime,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADVH4J3B644098H2WUBN502VVB
  • Story Text: Kenya promised on Sunday (April 1) to hunt down Somalia-based al Shabaab rebels following two blasts which killed one person and injured 31 in the coastal city of Mombasa, but stopped short of blaming the Islamist militant group outright.
    The near-simultaneous attacks took place at an open air Christian meeting in the town of Mtwapa, north of Mombasa, and a packed bar near Mombasa's main stadium.
    Al Qaeda-aligned al Shabaab has staged attacks in Kenya since Nairobi sent troops into Somalia last October to pursue the group. However, Saturday's blasts were the first to target Mombasa, one of Kenya's top tourist destinations, and were staged just before the busy Easter tourist season in the coming week.
    "We will not tire of hunting for these people (al Shabaab) until we finish them. They have ruined their country and now they have come here to ruin Kenya's economy," Internal Security Minister George Saitoti told reporters while visiting the scenes of the explosions.
    Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who accompanied Saitoti, tried to reassure foreign visitors after the explosions whose victims were all Kenyans. "Kenya is safe. No one should threaten tourists. They should continue coming to Kenya and the government will protect them," he said.
    The Kenyan military moved into south Somalia after two separate attacks on tourists in resorts on its northern coast. Saturday's attacks created fears that the tourism business, one of the nation's big three hard currency earners, could be hit by cancellations during the Easter season.
    Kenya's security agencies have launched investigations into the cause of twin blasts that went off at the East Africa nation's coastal city killing one person.
    The blasts which rocked a prayer meeting near the city and a restaurant in town late Saturday (March 31) injured more than 20 people two of them critically.
    Kenya's Prime Minister and Security minister while visiting the scene of the attack pledged a a full investigation into the attack.
    "We will not get tired of hunting down the perpetrators of this crime, we will find them and finish them all. Our citizens must live in peace and we will not accept people from anywhere who have messed their country to come here and cause mayhem," said Kenya's Security Minister George Saitoti The blasts were the latest in a string of attacks to hit the East African country since it sent troops into neighbouring Somalia to fight an al Qaeda driven insurgency.
    Up until now, attacks had centered on the capital, Nairobi, and near the border with Somalia.
    Saturday's blasts were the first in Mombasa, a popular holiday destination with locals and foreigners, since Kenya began its mission to fight Islamist rebels north of the border.
    The government has blamed previous attacks on Somali-based rebels al Shabaab, which formally merged with al Qaeda this year.
    The attacks come at a bad time for Kenya, just as it gears up for the Easter tourist season. The country is already forecasting earnings from tourism - one of its big three hard currency sources - will fall this year, in part because of travel warnings over the threat from Somali militants.
    "Kenya is a peaceful nation, tourists should not be worried about this; we welcome them and security will be provided," said Raila Odinga, Kenya's Prime Minister Earlier this month, Kenyan police arrested four people after a grenade attack at a crowded Nairobi bus station that killed nine and wounded 40, an attack it blamed on the Somali Islamist militants.
    It later released them on a conditional bond pending further investigations.
    Al Shabaab, which has declared war against Kenya, denied it was responsible for the bus station attack.
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