Over 20 injured in Nairobi bus attack

By Steven Candia and Reuben Olita AT least one person was killed and over 20 injured in the Kenyan capital Nairobi last night in a bomb attack on a Kampala-bound bus. The attack was carried out at the terminal of Kampala Coach Bus service on River Road. Kenya police could not immediately confirm whether it was a terrorist attack. There were conflicting reports concerning the incident and the causalities. "There was a bag which was about to be loaded onto a Kampala-bound bus. It exploded and people were injured," Charles Owino, deputy police spokesman told Reuters by telephone. But other Kenyan media reported that two of the attackers were shot by police as they tried to escape from the scene. Owino could not confirm the reports. The Kampala Coach bus was preparing to leave for Kampala when four unknown attackers reportedly threw grenades at its entrance as passengers were boarding. According to Kenya media, the person killed is suspected to be one of the attackers. Several of the victims were rushed to various medical facilities in Nairobi for first aid. Earlier at a briefing in Kampala, Uganda Police urged people in the countryside to be security conscious, especially about terrorism, as the nation heads into a festive season. They asked the people living in rural areas to be more vigilant, saying the threats are not only restricted to the urban areas. "Many people in the rural areas think that terrorism is a Kampala affair, but I urge them to drop that kind of thinking because it (terrorism) is an issue of national concern and calls for vigilance at all levels," said Lameck Kigozi, the central region Police spokesman. "We may blanket Kampala with security but they may choose to go for some other place," he added. The alert issued by Kigozi came on the same day as Police boss Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura warned of "strong indications" that Al-Qaeda linked militants wanted to attack during the Christmas period. Uganda in July suffered East Africa's worst attacks in 12 years when suicide bombers struck two Kampala bars, killing 79 people. The attack was claimed by Somalia's Al-Qaeda-inspired Al-Shabaab militants. Kayihura said they had received information over possible attacks and Uganda was working with neighbouring countries to avert them. Police cautioned the public of the rampant fire outbreaks, and warned that it would hold culpable any person who will be found to have negligently caused a fire outbreak. It also warned of an extortionist scheme by fraudsters claiming to be registering foreign nationals in the country.