Mukuku Residents Report Health Concerns Following Landing of Space Debris

By Wambua Love and Martin Masai

Mukuku , Mbooni East, Tuesday

Residents of Mukuku in Mbooni, Makueni County, are raising fresh health concerns following the mysterious fall of a space object in their community on December 30, 2024.

Some locals now claim to be experiencing severe headaches and body irritation, which they believe could be linked to the incident.

A metallic ring approximately 2.5 meters in diameter and weighing about a tonne fell in the area, prompting a multi-agency investigation led by the Kenya Space Agency (KSA) alongside the Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority (KNRA), the Ministry of Health’s Disaster Management Unit, and local security teams.

Officials have maintained that radiation levels at the site were measured at three times the normal ground levels — significantly lower than the threshold considered hazardous.

However, despite these reassurances, residents now say health complications have begun to emerge.

“Our lives have taken a U-turn. We have been in and out of hospital due to severe headaches and body irritation, conditions we have never experienced before,” said a resident who witnessed the object’s fall. “We are calling on the County Government of Makueni, through the Ministry of Health, to send health officers to examine us and provide medication. Our lives have completely changed because of this foreign object, ” said Mr. Richard Musyoka Munyasya, one of the first residents to arrive at the scene of landing.

He said the object was radiating heat which he experienced along with few other people.

Munyasya said he had visited the local health facility and given some pain killers and a balm/ cream to manage his condition.

Another resident Alfred Maithya complained of headaches and itchy body. They said they visited Nduluku Dispensary for treatment.

A health worker at the facility said a number of residents had visited the dispensary but declined to reveal his name and the numbers treated, referring the reporter to the County Ministry of Health.

The multi-agency team, however, remains sceptical of the health claims, emphasizing that radiation tests conducted on-site revealed no cause for alarm.

In their initial findings contained in a report seen by The Anchor, officials assured the public that radiation levels were within safe limits, and the Ministry of Health had attempted to alleviate fears.

The agencies have yet to finalize their investigation and have advised the community to remain calm as experts work to determine the object’s origin and potential risks.

A comprehensive environmental impact assessment has been recommended, along with the need for a unified report from all agencies involved.

The Kenya Space Agency has since taken custody of the debris for further analysis in Nairobi, while calls grow louder from residents for more transparent communication and health evaluations.

Local leaders, including the area MCA, have echoed residents’ concerns, urging authorities to address the rising anxiety in the community.

“The government must ensure the right information reaches the people. The concerns raised need to be addressed thoroughly, and a complaint desk established to handle emerging issues,” the MCA stated.

The government continues to advise calm, reiterating that investigations are ongoing and that public safety remains a top priority.