Eastleigh residents stand with Somalia after deadly blast

Nairobi ‘s Eastleigh Estate today witnessed long queues akin to those of a general election after  hundreds of residents turned up for a blood donation drive in aid of victims of Saturday’s bomb attacks in Mogadishu, Somalia.

While expressing their gratitude, members of the Eastleigh Business Community led by the organizer of the blood donation exercise Ahmed Mohammed termed the turnout as overwhelming and also urged more Kenyans to turn out and stand with the victims of the blast in Somalia.

Speaking to Citizen Digital, residents who turned up for the exercise likened the Mogadishu to the terror attack at Kenya’s Westgate and Garissa University, saying that only a show of unity can see the injured receive the much needed help from all those who are willing.€

Other residents condemned the attack in Somalia and called on the relevant authorities in Somalia and the international community and beyond to speed up investigations.

More than 300 people lost their lives in the attack and more than 200 hundred injured, with more than 70 civilians having bee airlifted to Turkey for further treatment, many burnt beyond recognition.

Turkey has offered to send medical assistance to Somali as President Tayyip Erdogan strongly condemned the attacks and pledged to stand with the country that has been grappling with terrorism.

The Somali government blamed Al Shabaab militia group that has its base in the country, though no terror group has claimed responsibility for the deadly blast, as several people were also airlifted to Nairobi by Kenya government for specialized treatment.

Security has been beefed up across Mogadishu following the attack after President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed declared three days of national mourning, even as more bodies and victims are retrieved from the rubble spread over hundreds of metres in the city centre.