Earthquakes are extremely rare in Kenya and so when Kenyans were jolted by a magnitude of 4.8 quakes that occurred within seconds there was a lot of reason for a countrywide panic.
Fear gripped Kenyans living in high-rise buildings resulting in thousands of people taking occurred is awash with chatter about the tremor that hit various parts of Kenya.
With all the other hazards facing Africa, it’s easy to forget that East Africa is home to the 6000-km long Rift Valley System the largest continental seismic rift system on earth. The sub-region covers 5.5 million km2 and is inhabited by about 120 million people.
The Rift Valley is not subject to the high-magnitude earthquakes that we see along subduction zones, such as those in the Pacific Ocean known for its many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions which can produce catastrophic consequences.
In the Rift Valley, residents have not experienced a high-magnitude earthquake in their lifetime, leading many people to deduce that the seismic risk is low or non-existent.
The most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Kenya emanated from the Subukia valley on 6th January 1928. It registered a magnitude of 6.9 on the Richter scale.
The United States Geological Survey on Sunday night reported a magnitude 4.8 quake NNW of Wundanyi, Taita Taveta. The quake was reported at about 7.21pm Kenyan time.
Soon after, Twitter was awash with reports of tremors in several counties across the country. Some of those who felt the tremors said they were inside buildings, outside or even on the road.
Reports of the tremors came from Nairobi, Kiambu, Mombasa, Nyeri and parts of the Coast. KeNHA advises motorists to avoid Mai