ABSTRACT
The Late Pleistocene to Recent tectonic stress field in Kenya has been characterized by a NW-SE position for Shmin, which appears to have rotated into this position from an original E-W orientation at about 0.6 Ma. The new orientation of the Shmin position is corroborated by borehole breakouts, earthquake focal mechanisms and fault slip data. A NW-SE position for Shmin can also be inferred from the NE-SW aligned Quaternary eruptive centers on the eastern shoulder of the Kenya Rift. As they cut across basement anisotropies linear volcanic alignments are considered to be good indicators for the regional stress field. In contrast, the NW-SE trending volcanic alignments in the Chyulu Hills on the SE rift shoulder suggest a NE-SW position for Shmin.
