Panic as magnitude 4.7 earthquake hits Kenya

Kenyans were taken by surprise Tuesday evening when an earthquake shook the outskirts of Nairobi, the country’s capital city.

The earthquake monitor said the quake was strong, measuring 4.6 magnitude, with a shallow depth of 10 kilometres.

“Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface,” the monitoring agency said.

“Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake was probably felt by many people in the area of the epicentre.

“It should not have caused significant damage, other than objects falling from shelves, broken windows, etc.”

The earthquake monitor said the exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised as seismologists review data and refine their calculations.

Kenya is not new to earthquakes. A total of 29 earthquakes with a magnitude of four or above have struck within 300 kilometres of the East African country in the past 10 years.

This comes down to a yearly average of two earthquakes per year.

The strongest recent quake of the past 10 years occurred on May 3, 2020, with a magnitude of 5 and a depth of 10 kilometres.

Before that, a 6.7 earthquake struck on January 6, 1928. It was the strongest earthquake that has rocked Kenya in the past 124 years, according to this seismic activity record.