Work at a construction site came to a standstill on Monday after labourers found a hand grenade near the office of Isiolo Woman Representative Rehema Jaldesa.
The workers were digging a foundation of an upcoming building at Kiwanjani when they found the grenade buried two feet under.
Kiwanjani manager Wako Yattani said he was alerted by one of the members of Nyumba Kumi.
“I told residents to keep off the area and instructed Nyumba Kumi members to watch out and keep children at bay. I reported to the police who immediately came to the scene,” Yattani said.
Wabera MCA Abdi Duba commended the security personnel for their prompt response.
Duba said children should not be allowed to play with suspect metallic devices.
Peter Kirimi, one of the workers, said: "We did not know what it was until one of us told us it might be a grenade. We stopped the work immediately and called the police."
The grenade was detonated by Kenya Defence Forces bomb experts. Sergeant Ogolla, who led the operation, said the explosive is used for training and was not a combat grenade.
He said the grenade was buried several years ago and its safety pin was off.
“We have managed to take it away and successfully detonated it in a safe place. The device belonged to the government and it might have been there for some time."
Ogolla called on the public to stay away from suspicious objects.
“If they come across such a suspicious object they should not touch it. Some should guard it to prevent children from accessing it while others should report to the police for appropriate action to be taken to ensure the safety of life and property,” he said.
The soldier praised members of the public who discovered the device and kept a safe distance and reporting immediately.
On October 29, last year, a 12-year-old Standard 2 pupil was killed and eight other children seriously injured after an explosive device detonated at Victors Children’s Home in Kilimani, Isiolo. They were playing with it, oblivious of the danger.
Edited by R.Wamochie
