On December 31, 2024, in a remote village called Mukuku in Makueni County, Kenya, residents woke up to the discovery of a mysterious object in their backyard. The large metallic-looking ring has since been identified as space debris.
The Kenya Space Agency said in a statement that this is an isolated incident, and that “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.”
Crashing in the Northern part of Kenya and sparking fears over explosives, locals located metal fragments of all sizes said to be from a rocket. However, Space Agency officials in Kenya are still working to determine where it came from and establish the ownership of the debris.
Mbooni Sub County Police Commander Julius Rotich shared with the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation that the mysterious object was still hot when officers arrived, forcing authorities to keep curious locals at a distance until it cooled down.
Images from the scene showed the metallic ring resting among trees and brush, surrounded by police tape, as residents gathered to observe the unusual sight. The Kenya Space Agency is now investigating to determine the object’s origin and path from space prior to crashing in the remote village.
Thankfully, no one was injured when the impact occurred, and the object posed no immediate health risk. Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni advised residents to steer clear of the area, avoid touching unfamiliar materials, and report any unusual health symptoms or environmental changes.
The object was taken in for observation and characterized by the space agency as a “fragment of a space object,” measuring 2.5 meters wide and weighing 500 kg (1,100 pounds).
Following the crash of the object, misinformation soon appeared on X and other social media platforms, with users sharing imagery of the debris amid claims that it is alien technology or portions of a crashed UFO.
On January 3, The Kenya Space Agency released a statement on X clarifying any misconceptions about the object and its origins.
“The Kenya Space Agency wishes to clarify that investigations into the space object fragments incident in Mukuku Village, Makueni County, are still ongoing and the Kenya Space Agency has not reached any conclusions or attributed the space object to any space actor yet.”
The agency also said claims involving a notification for compensation that the Kenyan government had allegedly made were untrue. “and should be ignored.”
“Neither the Kenya Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs nor the Kenya Space Agency, nor any other Government of Kenya entity has made any such notification.”
The Kenya Space Agency said it will continue coordinating with its partners to determine the space object’s identity, as well as what organization and its activities led to the debris falling over a populated area.
“The general public will be advised as necessary as the matter progresses and more information becomes available. The matter will be pursued through the channels provided under International Space Law,” the statement read.
“Public members are advised to be cautious of unverified or unofficial statements, refrain from circulating false information, and await official communications from Government Agencies,” it added.
Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and founder of VOCAB Communications. She hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on The Debrief’s YouTube Channel. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton and at chrissynewton.com.