A moderate tremor was felt in Nairobi and surrounding counties on Thursday afternoon, November 5, 2026, following a powerful earthquake that struck the Lake Victoria region of north-western Tanzania.
According to real-time seismic monitoring data from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the earthquake originated in Tanzania’s Geita region, approximately 14 to 17 kilometres east of Ushirombo. Initial automated alerts registered a magnitude 5.6 earthquake before EMSC experts revised its magnitude to 5.2, at a depth of 10 kilometres.
The main shock struck Tanzania at approximately 12:22 PM East African Time (EAT). Within five minutes, at around 12:27 PM, seismic waves had travelled nearly 1,000 kilometres across the East African Rift System into Kenya.
Across central and southern Kenya, including Nairobi, Murang’a, Kiambu and Kajiado counties, the earthquake was widely felt. In Nairobi and surrounding areas, residents of estates such as Tassia, Pipeline in Embakasi, Kitengela, Athi River and Westlands reported feeling the tremors on social media.
Many people said they were initially confused, with some wondering whether they were experiencing dizziness or feeling vibrations caused by heavy traffic. No casualties or structural damage had been reported following the tremor, according to available reports.
The tremor was also felt in neighbouring countries, including Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda, although no casualties or damage had been reported in those countries.
The earthquake underscores Kenya’s vulnerability to tectonic activity along the East African Rift System. Thursday’s event follows a pattern of recurrent tremors in Kenya, including seismic activity recorded in parts of Nairobi in May 2025 and along the coastal regions of Mombasa and Kilifi in late April 2025.
Geologists note that while most tremors originating from regional epicentres lose intensity before causing significant structural damage in Kenya, they serve as a reminder of the dynamic geological forces active beneath the East African Rift Valley.
– By John Murunga
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