NAIROBI, Kenya (BN24) — At least 21 people have died and 30 others remain missing after a devastating landslide struck Kenya’s western Rift Valley region Saturday, where days of heavy rainfall have caused widespread destruction during the country’s ongoing short rains season.
More than 1,000 homes were destroyed by mudslides in the hilly area of Chesongoch in Elgeyo Marakwet County in western Kenya. The disaster struck Machember Sub-location in Mukurtwo following intense rainfall that began Friday night, October 31.
According to a statement from Kenya’s Interior Ministry, search and rescue operations are continuing as emergency teams work to navigate treacherous mudslides that have rendered key access roads impassable. The government has deployed aerial support and first responders to assist with evacuation, medical care and surveillance in the affected areas.
Rescue teams have pulled 19 survivors from the debris, while several injured persons are receiving treatment at Chesongoch Mission Hospital. The government airlifted 30 survivors with serious injuries to a hospital in Eldoret City as the severity of casualties became apparent.
The Kapsowar-Chesoi Road has been completely severed, significantly complicating rescue efforts in the mountainous terrain. Rescue operations continued through Saturday despite persistent heavy rains as disaster agencies searched through debris for missing residents.
Local resident Stephen Kittony described the terrifying moments when disaster struck, telling Citizen Television station that he heard a deafening sound and, together with his children, rushed out of their house and ran in different directions to escape the approaching mudslide.
Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said the government is working to identify an alternative settlement area for those displaced by the catastrophe.
The hilly Chesongoch area has a history of deadly landslides, with separate incidents claiming dozens of lives in 2010 and 2012. In 2020, raging floods washed away a shopping center in the same region.
Beyond the landslide, flooding has wreaked havoc across multiple counties throughout Kenya. In a separate incident, a 15-year-old boy drowned after being swept away by floodwaters along River Obonyo in Kapounja, Kisumu West Sub-county.
Tana River County has experienced severe flooding, with 67 households submerged in the communities of Dhuhush, Lebille, Bultobanta and Bangale. Livestock losses in that county include at least 170 sheep and goats and one camel. In Garissa County, approximately 300 goats have been lost to flash floods in the Gutho area of Shimbirey Location.
Kisumu Central and East sub-counties have seen massive displacement, with more than 340 households forced from their homes in the areas of Kaputhe, Nanga, Dunga, Onjweru, Kanyawade, Kaloo, Kodie, Alar and Kowuore. In Laikipia County, 89 households around Lobere Dam were compelled to evacuate after multiple dams overflowed following heavy overnight rain.
Mombasa has experienced localized flooding in the Mburukenge and Kaa Chonjo informal settlements, which authorities linked to incomplete drainage and stormwater management projects.
The ministry reinforced warnings from the Kenya Meteorological Department, cautioning that heavy rainfall is expected to persist across several regions. The forecast heightens concerns about additional flash floods and landslides, especially in hilly and riverine areas already saturated from days of continuous precipitation.
A multi-agency response team comprising the National Government Administration Officers, the National Police Service, the Kenya Red Cross and other government agencies is coordinating relief, evacuation and humanitarian efforts across affected counties.
The Interior Ministry issued an urgent appeal to the public to exercise extreme caution during this dangerous period. Authorities warned residents to avoid flooded roads and rivers and to relocate from slopes and low-lying areas prone to landslides.
“We also advise wananchi to follow official updates from the Kenya Meteorological Department, the Ministry of Interior, and County Disaster Units to avert potential danger and ensure their safety during this period,” the ministry statement read.
The ongoing short rains season, which typically occurs from October through December in Kenya, has proven particularly intense this year, overwhelming infrastructure and displacing thousands of residents across the East African nation. Weather forecasters indicate the heavy rainfall pattern is likely to continue in the coming days, raising fears of additional casualties and displacement.
