KWS Addresses Volcanic Eruption Fears on Mt Longonot

The Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) has allayed fears of a possible volcanic eruption on Mt Longonot in Nakuru County. 

A fire broke out on January 21, 2026, with some members of the public mistaking it for a volcanic eruption.

KWS would later establish that the fire was caused by human activities.

According to the agency, the fire had caused tension after it spread to the adjoining lands, including the Longonoit National Park.

With the help of community guides and locals, KWS officers embarked on efforts to put out the fire before it could spread further.

"A wildfire broke out on 21st January 2026, originating from community land and is suspected to be linked to land-clearing activities. The fire spread into parts of Mt. Longonot National Park but was swiftly contained through the joint efforts of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), community guides, and local community members," a statement from KWS read.

It was later clarified that the fire did not emanate from a volcano as had been believed.

"We wish to inform the public that there is no volcanic activity or eruption associated with the incident," KWS said.

This came days after the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) confirmed a fire incident in one of its wind turbines at the Ngong Wind Power Facility on Tuesday afternoon, January 20.

In a statement issued, KenGen explained that the isolated incident happened at around 1500 hours on January 20, 2026, and affected a single turbine.

The company clarified that the fire occurred during routine maintenance and stressed that no injuries were reported, with all staff accounted for.

The power producer further noted that the affected 0.85MW turbine had already been offline, meaning electricity supply to the national grid was not interrupted.

"The affected 0.85MW wind turbine was already offline at the time of the incident. Consequently, there has been no interruption or risk to electricity supply to the national grid, and all other turbines at the facility remain fully operational," the company stated.

KenGen added that its safety team, together with relevant authorities, had begun investigating the cause of the fire and assessing the damage.

Low-quality videos from the scene showed crowds gathered near, keeping a safe distance from the burning turbine.

The blades remained intact but were visibly charred, with smoke still rising from the structure, though flames were no longer visible.