Heavy rains triggered massive mudslides that destroyed over 1,000 homes in Kenya’s western Rift Valley. Authorities confirmed that at least 21 people died, and more than 30 remain missing after the disaster struck Chesongoch in Elgeyo Marakwet County on Saturday. Continuous downpours have pounded the region throughout the country’s short rain season, worsening the destruction.
Several major roads remain impassable, and the government has deployed helicopters to airlift victims. Officials flew 30 severely injured survivors to a hospital in Eldoret City for emergency treatment.
Residents Describe Panic as Disaster Hit
Local witnesses said they heard a deafening roar before the ground gave way. “Everyone ran in different directions to escape,” one resident said. The sudden landslide buried homes and farmland under thick layers of mud.
Rescue teams battled through ongoing rain to search the debris for missing people. Disaster response agencies and local volunteers worked together late into Saturday, digging through collapsed structures and flooded terrain to locate survivors.
Government Plans Support for Displaced Families
Officials described Chesongoch as one of Kenya’s most landslide-prone regions. Past disasters in 2010 and 2012 killed dozens, and floods in 2020 swept away a local shopping centre.
Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said the government is assessing safer areas to relocate families who lost their homes. He added that authorities will continue rescue missions and provide emergency relief to all displaced residents.
