By Judy Maina
NAIROBI, Kenya — A 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck near Longido, a town in northern Tanzania, on Wednesday morning, sending tremors that were felt across parts of Nairobi and its neighboring regions.
The Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) confirmed that the seismic activity originated approximately 81 kilometers northwest of Longido at coordinates 2.574°S, 35.983°E, with a depth of 10 kilometers.
The earthquake occurred at 10:35 AM East Africa Time, and its shockwaves reached areas including Westlands, Parklands, Kangemi, Mlolongo, and parts of Machakos County.
Residents reported brief shaking of buildings, with some describing the experience as unsettling but not damaging.
“I was working on the third floor when everything started vibrating lightly. At first, I thought it was a heavy truck passing nearby, but then the windows and doors started rattling,” said Mary Wambui, a shop owner in Parklands.
The KMD classified the tremor’s intensity as Level III, indicating it was felt but did not cause structural damage. In Machakos, the intensity was slightly higher, reaching Level IV. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Volcano Discovery also confirmed the earthquake’s occurrence, noting its shallow depth contributed to the perceptibility of the tremors over a wide area.
Despite widespread reports of the tremor, no injuries or significant damage have been reported.
The KMD reassured the public that the earthquake was of moderate magnitude and that no further seismic activity had been detected in the region following the event.
According to experts, the incident serves as a reminder of the tectonic activity in the East African Rift Valley, where the African and Somali plates are slowly separating, leading to occasional seismic events.
While such occurrences are relatively rare, they highlight the importance of preparedness in regions susceptible to earthquakes, they said.
