Govt Explains 500kg Object That Fell From Space & Found In Makueni
Owing to the ring-shaped structure, the object was revealed to be a fragment of a space object.
Marvin Chege 
The recent discovery of a metallic object in Mukuku in Makueni County mesmerised residents and what startled them even more was the revelation that it fell from the sky. The government on Wednesday, January 1, through the Kenya Space Agency (KSA), explained what that mysterious object was.
The object landed in Mukuku Village, Mukuku Sublocation, Nduluku Location, Waia Division, Mbooni East Sub-County, Makueni County, on Monday, December 30, 2024 at around 1500hrs. KSA clarified that the object is a metallic ring measuring approximately 2.5 meters in diameter and weighing about 500 kg.
Owing to the ring-shaped structure, the object was revealed to be a fragment of a space object. Preliminary assessments indicated that the fallen object was a separation ring from a launch vehicle (rocket).
Such objects are usually designed to burn up as they re-enter the Earth's atmosphere or to fall over unoccupied areas, such as the oceans.
The mysterious metallic object that fell in Mbooni East, Makueni County on December 30, 2024. /PHOTO
"This is an isolated case, which the Agency will investigate and address using the established framework under the International Space law," stated KSA in part.
"On receipt of the information on the morning of Tuesday 31 December 2024, KSA officials rushed to the scene and, working alongside a multi-agency team and local authorities, secured the area and retrieved the debris, which is now under the Agency's custody for further investigation."
KSA thanked the residents of Mukuku village for their prompt action in reporting the incident to the authorities and for their cooperation in ensuring public Safety, as well as the local leadership, the multi-agency team, and media houses for disseminating what it termed as "critical information in a timely manner."
The agency however assured the public that the object had posed no immediate threat to safety. "Our experts will analyze the object, use existing frameworks to identify the owner and keep the public informed of the next steps and outcomes," added the statement.
"KSA remains committed to fostering safe and responsible space activities for Kenyan entities operating within Kenya or from outside Kenya. We urge the public to report any suspicious objects or unusual occurrences promptly to the relevant authorities."
According to eyewitnesses who observed the rare incident, the object is said to have fallen from space with a loud bang that transcended for kilometres. Residents immediately arrived at the scene, and images shared on social media showed them handling the foreign object barehanded, oblivious of any danger it might have exposed them to.
Mbooni East Sub-County Police commander, James Rotich, revealed that the object was red-hot when it landed in a forested area. "We had to cordon off the area until it cooled off," he said.
While the owner of the rocket is yet to be established, CNN reported on December 30, 2024, that India launched its first space docking mission on Monday, on an Indian-made rocket, in an attempt to become the fourth country to achieve the advanced technological feat.
The mission, called Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX), lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh state at 1630 GMT aboard the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) “workhorse” PSLV rocket. After around 15 minutes, the mission director called the launch successful after the spacecraft reached an altitude of around 470 kilometres (292 miles).
The mission is seen as pivotal for future space endeavours, including satellite servicing and the operation of the country’s planned space station.
