The Narok County Government has paid Ksh 600,000 to Tenwek Hospital to offset the medical bill for two boys who narrowly escaped death after an object believed to be a bomb exploded while they were playing with it at Majibu Moto Station in Narok South Sub County.
Narok County Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu disclosed that his government has decided to pay the entire medical bill at the hospital and cover the cost of their education.
“This morning we met with Nankai Ole Kunkuru, the father of the two children, who unfortunately handled a device that turned out to be a bomb believed to have been left behind by the army that trained in this region in the 1980s,” the governor said.
According to Narok County Commissioner, Isaack Masinde, officers from the Kenyan Army and the DCI are combing the area where the two boys were injured and have so far recovered and detonated 24 explosive devices, which are potential bombs hidden underground.
Masinde warned that some citizens in the area had found such explosive devices. Instead of reporting to the police or provincial administration, they take them to scrap dealers and sell them.
“We appeal to the public to immediately report to the area chief and security officials if they come across any device that resembles the description of the bombs they collected,” Masinde said, pointing out that there are other unexploded devices in the area as it was a military training ground in the 1980s.
He said the family will now write to the attorney general and file a complaint seeking compensation for the injuries Kick off suffered.
Two blood brothers, Thomas Oloishuro, 12, and Raphael Kunkuru, 6, were grazing their father’s goats and accidentally detonated an abandoned bomb out of curiosity.
The bomb exploded and seriously injured the two. They were first taken to Narok County Referral Hospital and later to Tenwek Hospital, where they are being treated.
“One of them was supposed to be discharged today but the other is still receiving treatment and the bill could be Ksh800,000 or even Ksh900,000 and we will settle all this as a county government,” Ntutu said.
He warned residents to stay away from suspicious metallic objects or military ordnance and report them immediately to the relevant authorities.
“The scene has been secured and is awaiting the arrival of bomb experts,” he said, while urging residents to remain calm as investigations continue.
Mzee Kunkuru thanked the state and district governments for the interventions and said he was at a crossroads on where to get the money to pay the hospital bills as he has been hit by drought that has killed several of his animals.
