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Suspect held over Kenya explosion

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 21- A man is being detained for interrogation over Monday night’s explosion at the Kampala Coach bus terminus that killed three people in Nairobi.

The suspect was arrested on Monday night as the search for the attackers intensified, police said.

“There was a suspect who is in custody and he is being interrogated over the attack. He was arrested in Kibera slum,” Police Spokesman Erick Kiraithe said.

He said the suspect was being interrogated to determine if he had played any part in planning or executing the attack.

Police did not give any more details of the arrest but confirmed that the suspect “is being interrogated by detectives from the anti-terrorism police unit.”

A senior police officer speaking on condition of anonymity said “our officers are trying to find out the relationship between the suspect who is in custody and the one who died after the explosion.”

Police believe that one of the three killed by the blast was the one carrying the luggage that had the explosive.

On Tuesday morning, Bomb Disposal Unit officers re-visited the scene of the blast where they searched for more evidence.

The officers said they had recovered shrapnel of a grenade that exploded as guards and officials of the bus company searched passengers as they prepared to board the bus.

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“We were not able to establish immediately last night what kind of explosive it was but we have now confirmed that it is a grenade. We are working with various security organs to establish its source,” an officer attached to the Bomb disposal unit said.

The ill-fated bus which was partly blown up by the grenade was still parked where it was last night.

There was enhanced security at the explosion site and other surrounding areas, mainly congested streets and bus termini and well as eateries and pubs.

On River Road, we witnessed hundreds of armed police officers patrolling the streets.

“We are not taking chances, we have increased our security presence all over the city, we want to ensure the city remains safe,” Nairobi PPO Antony Kibuchi said.

One person was killed on the spot and two others died in hospital where they were undergoing treatment after the blast.

Out of 39 people who were rushed to hospital after the explosion, only seven were still in hospital by midday on Tuesday.

Officials at the Kenyatta National Hospital told Capital News those admitted were in a stable condition and were likely to be discharged in due course.

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