The long-awaited rains may come as a relief to farmers across the country, but not for locals in Kiamunyi.

A huge fissure that existed before, widened, sinking part of the land that the crack ran through. This caused damage to the crops that had earlier been planted.

A perimeter wall belonging to a house that was under construction collapsed with the building stones now lying in the gulley created by the fault line.

A resident looks over building stones lying in a gulley after part of the perimeter wall collapsed.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

Despite the losses, residents now grapple with fears that land in the posh estate could depreciate.

In an interview with Mtaa Wangu, a land owner Joseph Kamau (not his real name), says he was shocked to learn that his land has depreciated in value, noting that he bought the parcel of land in 2019 at Sh 6 million.

However, after carrying out a valuation for the land over the weekend, it was valued at close to Sh 2 million after the fault line cut across his land.

“The gorge cuts across my land. It is now hard for anyone to buy this land yet it is in a prime area,” he laments.

A gulley runs through prime land in Kiamunyi estate.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

This is not the first place that land has collapsed exposing fault lines in Nakuru.

In 2020, locals in Shabab area were shocked after land in the area sank affecting a road in that area.

Nakuru county’s Environment Executive Dr. Nelson Maara notes that there are some areas in Nakuru that are prone to collapsing since they are located along fault lines.

“We have identified several areas in Nakuru among them Kiamunyi where we are cautioning residents from developing buildings there. This particular region is located along a fault line,” says Mr Maara.

He adds that the county is identifying risk-prone areas and cautioning developers on making developments there.

Agnes Moraa a farmer, who has hired a 50 by 100 plot for farming says everything she had planted was covered by silt after it rained heavily on Saturday, April 12 2023.

Agnes Moraa, a farmer in Kiamunyi.

Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

“I am here to weed a friend’s farm so that I can get money to replant my land which is the most affected here. I had rented the two plots at Sh1,500 each, and most of what was planted is covered by silt,” she says

She adds that rather than leaving the land bare she prefers having a short-term crop that she can harvest by the time the rains end.

According to a report developed by experts tasked by former Governor Lee Kinyanjui, Eng. Paul Njoroge from the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) among other experts, notes that although some parts of the Rift Valley are tectonically inactive, some areas along Nakuru may be experiencing seismic activities whose impact may extend all the way to the surface.

Landowners from this region now want the government to come in and construct a drainage point for surface run-offs that find their way to this huge fissure hence enlarging it, posing a danger to children who use the road close to the gulley.

Wanjirukinuthia20@gmail.com

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