Residents of Nairobi and surrounding areas were rattled by a mild earth tremor on Wednesday morning, which has since been linked to an earthquake in neighbouring Tanzania. According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, the 10:35 a.m. tremor was caused by shock waves from a magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck near Longido town in Tanzania.
The quake’s epicenter was located approximately 81 kilometers west-northwest of Longido, at coordinates 2.574°S, 35.983°E. Kenya Met confirmed that the tremor registered a level IV intensity in parts of Machakos County, meaning it was noticeable but caused no damage.
Volcano Discovery, an earthquake monitoring service, reported that the quake occurred 91 kilometers from Kiratu in Tanzania’s Arusha Region. It described the event as moderate but noted its presumed shallow depth made the tremors more pronounced in the surrounding areas. Kenya Met later specified the depth at 10 kilometers.
In Nairobi, residents from suburbs such as Westlands, Parklands, Kangemi, and Mlolongo took to social media to report the ground shaking, sparking widespread public concern. According to the Earthquake Monitor website, the earliest tremors were detected in Mlolongo before spreading across other parts of the capital and nearby towns.
Despite the intensity of the moment, no injuries or structural damages were recorded. Kenya Met assured the public that the tremor was a low-intensity seismic event with weak building shaking.