A massive landslide struck Kenya’s western Rift Valley region on Saturday, killing at least 21 people and leaving more than 30 missing. Days of relentless rainfall triggered mudslides that swept through the hilly area of Chesongoch in Elgeyo Marakwet County, destroying over 1,000 homes.
Authorities confirmed that heavy rains continue to batter the region during Kenya’s short rain season. Several roads remain blocked, cutting off access to affected villages and complicating rescue operations.
Search Teams Battle Rain to Find Survivors
Rescue teams worked throughout Saturday despite ongoing downpours, digging through the wreckage of collapsed homes to locate missing residents. Disaster response units, assisted by local volunteers, searched debris under treacherous conditions.
The government airlifted 30 severely injured survivors to a hospital in Eldoret City. Witnesses described hearing a thunderous roar before rushing from their homes as walls of mud swept through the area. “We heard a loud crack and ran for our lives,” one resident said.
Government Plans New Settlement for Victims
Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen announced that officials are assessing options for relocating displaced families to safer areas. He said the government is identifying alternative settlement sites to protect residents from future landslides.
Chesongoch has faced repeated natural disasters over the years. Landslides in 2010 and 2012 claimed dozens of lives, and floods in 2020 destroyed a local shopping centre. Officials now warn that climate change and deforestation have worsened the region’s vulnerability to deadly mudslides.
