Seven explosive devices were found beneath the River Kuja Bridge on the Migori–Soni Road, prompting a police investigation and the temporary closure of the area on Monday evening.

The devices were discovered on 15 December after a passer-by noticed a wire hanging beneath the bridge and alerted the authorities. Police officers from Nyatike sub-county, accompanied by a bomb disposal unit, secured the site and carried out an inspection.

Nyatike County Criminal Investigation Officer Bernard Wamalwa said the items were identified as industrial-grade emulsion and watergel explosives, commonly used in mining and construction work. He noted that although such materials are generally water-resistant and stable when handled correctly, their placement under a public bridge was highly unusual.

According to Mr Wamalwa, seven devices had been carefully arranged beneath the structure and appeared to have been there for some time. Investigators do not believe they were planted recently. He said the positioning suggested an intention to damage or destroy the bridge, which is a key transport link between Migori and Soni.

“If this bridge is destroyed, transport from Migori to Soni is paralysed,” Mr Wamalwa said, adding that investigators were examining possible motives, including commercial interests linked to infrastructure projects.

The discovery follows a separate incident in October in Kikuyu, Kiambu County, where a farmer uncovered an unexploded mortar bomb while ploughing his land. That device was later identified as a British 3-inch or 81mm mortar dating back to the First World War.