Eveready fissure: Residents, businesses, seek direction from government officials

When Mtaa Wangu visited area 140 of Kaptembwo in 2024 after a fissure ripped through the land, residents recalled how it all began with an innocent line on the ground.

On May 9, the ground gave way. A sinkhole opened, swallowing property and leaving families counting losses.

That memory still haunts Nakuru. And now, fear has returned, this time in Eveready, where the ground has cracked open again for the third time in less than two years.

For residents here, every crack on the ground feels like a countdown to disaster.

Jessica Kibor, a tenant, says her family lives in constant anxiety, as their plot sits between two sections that have already sunk.

“We are living near two fissures,140 and Eveready. What if this place sinks next and we lose lives?” she asks, her voice heavy with fear.

She wants the county to stop keeping them in the dark and declare whether the land beneath their homes is safe or a ticking bomb.

“This is a good place to live. But vacating might be the only option left. We need experts to confirm if we are in real danger. Until then, every day feels uncertain,” Kibor adds.

For Kevin Odhiambo, a mechanic, the ground is not just threatening homes it’s killing businesses.

“Clients are running away. They fear the ground will open and swallow their cars. And if that happens, how can we ever compensate them? We are stranded because the county hasn’t told us the truth about what’s happening here,” he says.

Even those who try to stay calm admit the cracks are terrifying. Arthur, a bodaboda operator, says he continues to work, but is distressed daily.

“I am not afraid to ride here. What scares me is the silence. We do not know if this ground will hold or collapse tomorrow. The cracks on the highway are communicating something, but no one is listening. Until experts tell us the truth, we are gambling with our lives,” he says.

Responding to the concerns, Nakuru County Disaster Management Chief Officer, Kennedy Mugo says the matter is being handled by the National Government and that a geological survey has commenced to ascertain the stability of the ground around Eveready.

“As of now we stand guided by the geological report that will be given by geologists who are currently on the ground conducting this survey. As a precautionary measure, last year we had advised people upstream to move. However, for Eveready area we are still waiting for the report to guide us on the way forward,” he notes.