Mukuku had never seen such activity. When the facility was removed by the KSA later that day, the uproar gave way to concern about what was going on among the villagers.
The KSA said its preliminary assessments indicated the object was a “separation ring” from a space rocket.
“Such objects are typically designed to burn up as they reenter the Earth’s atmosphere or to fall over uninhabited areas such as the oceans,” it said in a statement the following day.
No one was injured in the fall, but some residents of Mukuku began complaining that the effects of the accident damaged nearby houses.
Christine Kiyonga, who lives about a kilometer away from the crash site, showed us cracks in the concrete of some of the buildings in her house. She said they appeared after the wreck.
Other neighbors claimed the structural integrity of their homes was also affected – allegations that have yet to be confirmed.
“The government should find the owners of this facility and get compensation for those affected,” Mukuku resident Benson Mutuku told the BBC.
There were reports in local media that some residents began to complain of feeling unwell after coming into contact with the metal ring, although there was no confirmation from those we spoke to during the visit – neither from the authorities nor from the KSA.
However, Mr Mutuku said there were concerns about the long-term effects of possible cosmic radiation.
“It’s a space object and we’ve heard in other incidents like this that radiation exposure is even affecting future generations and there’s such a fear in this community.”
However, tests carried out later by the Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority showed that although the metal ring had higher levels of radiation than the area where it was found, they were not at levels harmful to humans.
