Recent heavy rains and mass flooding in Kenya’s Rift Valley region have led to the emergence of huge cracks, causing significant damage to property and posing risks to residents.
In Nakuru county, some residents have lost their homes and farms as massive fissures tore through their land. Areas such as Kiambogo, Kaptembwo, Ngata, and London have been particularly hard-hit by the phenomenon.
Last week, houses in Kiambogo sank into the ground, highlighting the severity of the situation. Concerned by these developments, the government has dispatched top geologists to Nakuru to conduct further investigations.
Nakuru county sits in one of the vulnerable areas of the Great Rift Valley, a geological feature stretching from the Horn of Africa to Mozambique.
These areas are known for cracks filled with volcanic ash, which recent rains may have washed away, leading to the formation of new fissures.
According to Mining Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi, residents had been previously warned about such geohazards, as Nakuru is prone to earthquakes, sinkholes, and landslides.
This incident echoes a similar occurrence in 2018 when heavy rainfall caused a crack to split the Mai-Mahiu-Narok road near Suswa, at the base of the Rift Valley.