Panic swept through Migori County on the evening of Monday, December 15, when passersby made a chilling discovery beneath the River Kuja Bridge along the busy Migori–Sori Road: explosive devices wired and hidden under a key transport artery. Coming barely a day before President William Ruto’s scheduled tour of the region for the Piny Luo cultural celebrations, the timing ignited a storm of speculation, fear and political suspicion.
But after intense investigations, police now say the shocking discovery was a “blind scare” — dramatic, dangerous, but not linked in any way to the President’s upcoming presence in Migori.
According to Nyatike Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer Bernard Wamalwa, the discovery was made by an alert passerby who noticed an unusual wire dangling beneath the bridge and promptly raised the alarm. Bomb disposal units and detectives moved in swiftly, sealing off the area as tension gripped nearby communities.
What they uncovered was alarming: at least seven explosive devices, carefully placed beneath the bridge structure.
“There were seven explosive devices which were carefully laid under the bridge. They appeared old and not recently planted, based on our findings,” Wamalwa confirmed.
What the Bomb Squad Found — And Why It Matters
Contrary to early fears of a terror-linked plot, investigators established that the devices were industrial emulsion and watergel explosives — materials commonly used in mining, quarrying and construction.
These explosives are:
Water-resistant
Designed for controlled blasting
Capable of causing damage only when used in specific configurations
Individually, experts say, they cause minimal destruction, a key detail that helped investigators rule out a large-scale terror attack or assassination attempt.
Given the proximity of the discovery to President Ruto’s planned attendance at the Piny Luo event, whispers of a foiled assassination attempt spread rapidly across Migori and on social media. However, police investigations have categorically dismissed any link between the explosives and the Head of State.
Senior officers involved in the probe describe the incident as a localized sabotage scare, not a national security threat.
“There is absolutely no evidence that these explosives had any direct or indirect bearing on the President’s visit or the Piny Luo celebrations,” a senior security source told investigators.
In fact, detectives believe the devices may have been placed weeks or even months earlier, further weakening any connection to the presidential tour.
While ruling out politics at the national level, investigators are not downplaying the seriousness of the incident. The arrangement and placement of the explosives suggest malicious intent — but of a different kind.
“We suspect someone wanted to destroy the bridge. This bridge is critical. If it goes down, transport between Migori and Sori is completely paralysed,” Wamalwa explained.
Investigators are now probing theories ranging from economic sabotage to corrupt interests seeking infrastructure repair tenders, a phenomenon not unfamiliar in public works scandals.
The Migori incident mirrors a troubling pattern seen elsewhere in the country. In October, residents of Nduma village in Kikuyu, Kiambu County, were thrown into panic after a farmer unearthed a live mortar bomb while ploughing his land.
That device — a World War I–era smoothbore mortar linked to the British 3-inch/81mm family — highlighted Kenya’s lingering problem of unexploded ordnance resurfacing decades later, often with devastating potential.
In Migori, the coincidence of timing nearly turned a criminal investigation into a national political crisis. Police now say the case is a cautionary tale about how fear, symbolism and presidential movements can fuel misinformation before facts are established.
The bridge has since been declared safe, security patrols intensified, and investigations widened to trace the origin of the explosives and how they ended up beneath one of Migori’s most vital transport links.
What initially looked like a high-stakes political threat has, for now, been stripped of its most explosive narrative. But beneath the reassurance lies an unsettling truth: industrial explosives are still finding their way into public spaces, and the motives behind their placement remain murky.
For Migori residents, the scare may be over — but the questions it raised are far from buried.
Leave a Reply