The man who blew himself up on Tuesday outsider DusitD2 Hotel Complex was making distress calls to people suspected to have been part of the team that descended the building, it has emerged.

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Police have already identified the man as Khalid Riziki, a 25-year-old Mombasa born radical who has been on the run since 2014. He's believed to have escaped to Tanzania before going to Somalia where he travelled from days to Tuesday's attack.

And Mr Abdullahi Ugello, a Kawangware resident who walked past him minutes to the attack, said the Jihadist sounded like he was in distress as he tried to locate the whereabouts of his colleagues.

"When I passed him, I got a chilly feeling, not that I suspected anything but that funny feeling that scares you,” he said.

“He was so engrossed on his phone and sounded agitated asking, ‘Kwani mko wapi, kwani mko wapi bwana (where are you, where are you guys)’, his left hand was inside his black coat,” Ugello told Saturday Standard.

According to Ugello, a construction supervisor,  he was tempted to look at him due to his tone and seemingly an agitated voice.

However, he proceeded with his journey only to hear an explosion few minutes later. Had the man asked for some help, Ugello is thankful that he'd have died at the scene.

“His agitated voice is what made me keep an eye on him. He avoided eye contact and sounded like time was not on his side,” he said.

Five people have already been arrested in connection with the attack that left 21 people dead. A woman, Violet Kemunto, who is said to have aided the terrorists, is on the run with detectives suspecting that she crossed over to Somalia.