The Kenya government called for calm as  it launched investigations into the cause of three successive explosions at  a rally called by church leaders to campaign against the draft constitution, last Sunday in Nairobi.

The investigation team comprising the military, the general service unit and officers from the criminal investigation department was formed after a flurry of meetings held by top government officials.

It is tasked to investigate those behind the three grenades that exploded at the rally, causing the death of six people and injuring 109  others.

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila  Odinga described the attack on Church leaders and politicians who are against  the draft constitution - to be subjected at a referendum in August -  as  a” heinous crime”  saying security at public rallies  will henceforth be tightened.

“This is a crime against Kenya. The nation’s security and other agencies have launched urgent and detailed investigations to uncover those behind the crime,”  Odinga said.

Odinga described it as a “first ever incident” at a public meeting and stated that security will be enhanced at public rallies.

“The government noted that this is the first time this type of incident has ever happened in a public forum. During this time of grave national concern, the government appeals to Kenyans to be calm and to avoid unnecessary speculation,” he said.

Kenya is the latest  country to experience explosions, after   two  grenade blasts in Rwanda's capital Kigali have killed one person and wounded at least 28 people last month.

The explosions happened within an hour of each other after men in civilian clothes, threw the first grenade from a moving car at a busy market area and the second at a  bus park in Kigali's Nyabugogo district.

Mr Odinga, however, said “Yes” and  “No” campaigns for the referendum and civic education meetings on the proposed constitution will continue, adding the attack should be de-linked from the August 4 referendum.

The  five died on the way to hospital and one at Uhuru Park. Another 109 people were treated at Kenyatta National Hospital and Nairobi Hospital. By yesterday evening, 21 people were still admitted at the country’s referral  hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital,  and one at the Nairobi Hospital.

Early in the morning, Internal Security minister George Saitoti,  Police Commissioner, Mathew Iteere, National Security Intelligence Services (NSIS) boss,  Michael Gichangi, Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura and Assistant Minister Orwa Ojode met at Harambee House over the attack.

Police were ordered to take samples from the scene of attack to ascertain the  explosives used  in the grisly murder.

Speaking at the Treasury, Odinga said the meeting reviewed facts, so far established by police over the attack in which they stated that three grenades exploded in quick succession at the rally.

“The police confirmed they were three grenades. This was from the material evidence they gathered at the site of the attack,” he said , adding the government will not allow such incident to recur . He was accompanied by Mudavadi, Cabinet ministers Kiraitu Murungi and Otieno Kajwang, Muthaura and Iteere.

The State House meeting resolved that police should carry out quick and thorough investigations, Kenyans should maintain calm and that security will be enhanced at all public rallies.

“The police are pursuing the matter as a serious crime and they are placing on the team the best investigative minds we have,” he said.

However, he questioned how the meeting which was supposed to be a prayer crusade was converted into a No rally. “Police were notified there was to be a crusade by Bishop (James) Ng’ang’a of the Neno Evangelist. Police were not aware it could be converted into a No rally,” Odinga added.

The attack came a day before the opening of a meeting on terrorism, organised by the African Union and Algiers-based African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) in Algeria. The meeting is expected to discuss ways of countering terrorism.

Reported by Bernard Namunane, Lucas Barasa and Jeff Otieno