The Government of Kenya has assured residents of Nairobi and Kajiado Counties that the Ngong Hills are unlikely to erupt this year.
Unveiling a taskforce meant to study the possibility of a Ngong Hill eruption this year, Mining PS said that preliminary observations had shown that Ngong Hills are not likely to spew magma on unsuspecting Nairobians. He however said that the taskforce would study the underlying rock structures and give a conclusive report.
The Hills have always been dormant since they were formed thousands of years ago. Following the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo, experts who only sit in offices but have never been to the ground feared that social media pressure could force Ngong Hills to erupt.
The possibility of erupting had raised fears among many people who have bought land around Ngong, fearing that they might lose their investments. This forced the government to intervene and do the study in order to settle down the fears. Investors said that the rumors had caused a steep decline in property prices around Ngong.
An eruption would also interfere with the giant fans that are strategically installed on the hill to help cool down Nairobi and solve the problem of climate change.
