The scene where yesterday explosion occurred a few minutes before the
closing of the Chadema campaign meeting. Photo IStaff photographer
Arusha. Two people died, and several were injured in Arusha
yesterday, in the wake of a bomb blast at Kaloleni playground, venue of a
Chadema campaign meeting ahead of councillors’ by-elections scheduled
for today.
Regional police commander Liberatus Sabas spoke of
the casualties being a man and a woman, but an additional information
indicates that Mount Meru Hospital had received the body of a child.
The facility’s medical officer in charge, Frida Mukiti, also reported that several injured people were being treated there
.
.
RPC Sabas also explained that injured persons were spread over many hospitals.
According to eyewitnesses, a bomb was hurled on
the spot where senior leaders were seated, including the major speakers,
national chairman Freeman Mbowe and Arusha MP Godbless Lema.
The attack took place shortly before 6 pm, only
minutes before the rally ended. Last month, a bomb attack occurred at a
Catholic church at Olasiti suburb, shortly before its inauguration,
killing three people and injuring scores.
A motorbike taxi (bodaboda) operator, Victor
Ambrose Calist, 20, has since appeared in court to answer charges of
murder and attempted murder.
By the time of going to press, no arrests had been made.
Against the backdrop of the by-elections in
Elerai, Kimandolu, Kaloleni and Themi wards, is the decision by the top
Catholic leadership to strip former councillors who were elected in 2010
of their membership.
The electoral contest is billed to be fierce
between the ruling CCM and Chadema, the leading Opposition party, as
have been previous ones at levels ranging from the grassroots to the
presidency.
Before the incident, the newly-appointed city
director Siporra Liana, had said that all preparations had been
finalized for the polls, assuring residents of Arusha there would be
adequate security to ensure safe and peaceful voting.
“They were just descending from the vehicle which
they used to address the people. No sooner had they reached the ground,
there was a blast”, one eye witness who refused to be quoted by name
said
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