The Kenya Space Agency, in an official statement dated January 3, 2025, dismissed viral social media rumours of the agency demanding compensation from India over an object that landed in Mukuku village, Makueni County.
The statement reads, “Our attention has been drawn to widely circulating disinformation on social media under the Subject; Notification of Compensation Demand for Space Debris Incident Originating from SRO Mission, dated 31 December 2024; and a social media posting by Nation Africa on January 2025 captioned: ‘Rocket Debris: Kenya notifies India of Compensation demand over 500Kg ring from India Space Research Organisation’s Docking Experiment, Spadex, which risked lives, property in Makueni.”
“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 clarified.
The agency emphasised that the claim of demanding compensation from the Indian government is false and should be ignored.
It continued, “Accordingly, the claim for notification for compensation demand allegedly made by the Government of Kenya is false 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.”
Rocket debris ownership to be determined after investigation
The agency noted that it is collaborating with partners to determine the specific space object and/or space activity that caused the fragments to fall in a populated area and to assign ownership.
It further stated, “The general public will be advised as necessary in due course as the matter progresses and more information becomes available. The matter will be pursued through the laid down channels and as provided for under International Space Law.”
The agency urged the public to wait for official communications from government agencies, avoid spreading misleading information, and be wary of unauthorised or unsubstantiated statements on the subject.
Read also: Kenya Space Agency begins investigation as strange object lands in Mukuku
“Members of the public are advised to be cautious of unverified or unofficial statements on the matter, refrain from
circulating false information and await official communications from Government Agencies,” it stated.
Techpression reported on Friday that the fragment of metal from a space object has been confirmed to have landed at an unoccupied location in Mukuku Village, Makueni County by the Kenya Space Agency (KSA).
Preliminary investigation by the KSA reveals that the object, which weighs approximately 500 kg and 2.5 meters in diameter, is a copper ring detached from a rocket.
It was first sighted at approximately 1500 hours on Monday, December 30, 2024.