Earthquake rattles Nairobi and its environs

Residents across Nairobi experienced seismic movements on Tuesday night prompting concerns about potential structural damage and safety risks.

By the time of publishing, aftershocks had been reported in areas including Kitengela, Ruaka and Westlands.

Others reported to have experienced the tremors in Isinya, Kajiado, Kirinyanga, Kisii, Nyeri and Murang’a counties among other areas.

Volcano Discovery, a website specializing in lithosphere information, reported that the initial quake was first detected around 8:31 pm.

However, details on the magnitude or depth of the quake were still pending confirmation.

“If confirmed, we can expect more accurate data to emerge in the next few minutes. The location, magnitude, and time mentioned are indicative, based on our best-fit seismic model,” the website stated.

They advised residents to check back for updates and to stay safe as they awaited more precise data from national or international seismological agencies.

Google reported that the tremor originated 38 kilometres from Nairobi and measured a magnitude of 4.2.

In a statement, Earthquake Monitor confirmed seismic activity in or near Nairobi, indicating that the country experienced a strong magnitude 4.6 earthquake 87 kilometres from the city at 8:32 pm. The quake had a very shallow depth of 10 kilometres, which caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicentre than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would.

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.

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

Volcano Discovery also noted that since 2022, Kenya has experienced three earthquakes with magnitudes above 4, up to 5.0.

Residents are advised to stay alert and follow updates from reliable sources as more information becomes available.