Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake Shakes Uganda

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook Uganda on Sunday night, causing tremors felt across multiple regions of the country. The quake, which struck around 9:19 PM local time, was widely perceived due to its shallow depth.

Preliminary data from international monitoring agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey, placed the earthquake's magnitude at 4.5. GeoTech reported a similar magnitude of 4.49. The epicenter was located near Nakasongola, within Uganda's central seismic belt.

Tremors were reported in central Uganda, including the capital Kampala and surrounding districts, as well as eastward to Jinja and westward into the Albertine region. Mild shaking was also registered in northern Uganda. The Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines had not yet issued an official statement by the time of publication.

Uganda lies within the Albertine Rift, a part of the seismically active East African Rift System where the African Plate is gradually splitting. This geological setting makes the country susceptible to recurring earthquakes, typically ranging from magnitude 4 to 6. The most powerful recorded earthquake in Uganda's seismic history was a magnitude 7.2 event in 1990 near the Uganda-DR Congo border.