At least 21 people have been killed and more than 1,000 homes destroyed after heavy rains triggered landslides in Kenya’s western Rift Valley region, officials said Saturday.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for the Interior, Kipchumba Murkomen, said at least 25 people with serious injuries were airlifted from Elgeyo-Marakwet County to the city of Eldoret for treatment, while about 30 others remain missing.
“Rescue efforts will resume on Sunday with support from the military and police,” Murkomen said in a statement on social media, adding that preparations were underway to deliver food and non-food relief items to affected residents. “Military and police choppers are on standby to transport the items.”
The disaster struck overnight in the hilly area of Chesongoch, which has been pounded by intense rainfall during Kenya’s short rainy season. Local resident Stephen Kittony told Citizen TV that he and his children escaped after hearing a “deafening sound” as the landslide tore through the area.
The Kenyan Red Cross shared aerial footage showing widespread destruction, with mudslides and flash floods cutting off key access roads. “Access to some of the affected areas remains extremely difficult due to flooding and blocked routes,” it said, noting ongoing coordination with government teams and air evacuations for the injured.
Chesongoch has a history of deadly landslides — similar incidents killed dozens in 2010 and 2012, while flooding in 2020 washed away a local shopping center.
