Earth tremor reported in parts of Nairobi and its environs

Kenyans have reported to have experienced an earth tremor on Tuesday night in several parts of the country.

The tremor occurred at around 8.34 pm and lasted for about 30 seconds.

The tremors have been reported in some parts of Kitengela, Ruaka and Westlands.

Others reported to have experienced the tremors in Isinya, Kajiado County at around 8:34 pm.  Some also reported to have felt the tremor in Kirinyanga, Kisii, Nyeri and Murang’ among other areas.

Earthquake Monitor in a statement confirmed a seismic activity in or near Nairobi, Nairobi Area.

Earthquake Monitor said the country experienced a strong magnitude 4.6 earthquake that hit 87 km (54 mi) away from Nairobi at 8.32 pm.

They said the quake had a very shallow depth of 10 km (6 mi) and was felt widely in the area.

“The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicentre than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would,” the statement read.

“We are receiving unverified early reports of ground shaking possibly caused by seismic activity in or near Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya on 16 Jul 2024 (GMT) at approximately 17:31 GMT,” Earthquake Monitor said in a statement.

Kenyans on X stated their experiences while others raised concern over the seismic move.

“Has anyone else just experienced a massive earth tremor? It’s kinda still ongoing but the intensity has gone down. It legit felt like my entire apartment was about to collapse,” an X user said.

“If you have experienced an earthquake repost this! That wasn’t easy! The magnitude is worrying,” another posed.

According to the search results, the Nairobi area and the broader East African Rift Valley region have a history of experiencing relatively large but infrequent earthquakes.

The Kenya Rift Valley and the Kavirondo (Nyanza) Rift are the most seismically active areas in Kenya, with earthquakes typically ranging from local magnitudes (Ml) of 2.0 to 5.0.

However, historical records show that larger magnitude earthquakes of Ml ≥ 6.0 have occurred in the region, such as the 1928 Subukia earthquake (Ml 7.1) and its Ml 6.2 aftershock, as well as a Ml 6.2 earthquake in the Turkana region in 1913.

The Subukia earthquake in 1928 was associated with a 38 km-long surface rupture showing normal faulting with a small component of left-lateral motion.

It caused moderate damage, though less than expected given its magnitude, likely due to the sparse population and resilient local building styles.

More recently, the region has experienced smaller tremors, such as a Ml 4.4 earthquake near Mtito Andei, Makueni County in June 2024 that was felt in parts of Nairobi.

Overall, the seismic hazard in the Kenya Rift Valley is considered significant, with the potential for relatively large but infrequent earthquakes to occur in the future.