NAIROBI, Kenya – At least 21 people have died and 30 others are missing after heavy rains triggered landslides in Kenya’s western Rift Valley region, government officials reported on Saturday. The landslides, which occurred overnight in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, also left at least 25 people with serious injuries and displaced residents after destroying more than 1,000 homes.
Kipchumba Murkomen, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for the Interior, provided the figures in a statement on the social media platform X. He confirmed that the 25 injured individuals were airlifted from the affected area to the city of Eldoret to receive medical treatment.
According to Murkomen, a multi-agency response is underway. He stated that rescue operations would resume Sunday with assistance from the Kenyan military and police.
“Preparation to supply more food and non-food relief items to the victims is underway,” Murkomen said. “Military and police choppers are on standby to transport the items.”
The Kenyan Red Cross is coordinating with national and county governments on rescue and relief efforts, including air evacuations. The organization shared aerial images from the region showing extensive mudslides and flooding.
In a statement on X, the aid group noted that response efforts were complicated by ground conditions. “Access to some of the affected areas remains extremely difficult due to flooding and blocked routes,” the statement read.
The landslides took place in the hilly area of Chesongoch, a region that has previously experienced similar events. A local resident, Stephen Kittony, told the Citizen Television station that he heard a loud sound before he and his children ran from their house.
According to reports from prior years, the area is prone to landslides. In 2020, floods washed away a local shopping center, and separate incidents in 2010 and 2012 also resulted in fatalities.
