The worst-hit area is the hilly settlement of Chesongoch, where more than 1,000 homes were destroyed as fast-moving mudflows swept through communities
At least 21 people have been killed and more than 30 others remain missing following a landslide triggered by heavy rains in western Kenya, according to government officials. The landslide struck overnight in Marakwet East, Elgeyo Marakwet County, during the peak of the rainy season, submerging entire villages under mud and debris and causing widespread devastation.
Interior minister Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed the scale of the tragedy in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. “We have confirmed the loss of 21 people to this tragedy, while over 30 people are still unaccounted for as reported by their families,” he wrote. He added that search and rescue operations had been paused overnight due to the treacherous conditions but were set to resume at first light.
The worst-hit area is the hilly settlement of Chesongoch, where more than 1,000 homes were destroyed as fast-moving mudflows swept through communities. Roads in and out of the area were severely damaged or blocked, hindering the progress of rescue teams. The government said 30 survivors with serious injuries were airlifted to Eldoret City for treatment.
The Kenyan Red Cross released aerial photographs showing vast expanses covered in mud, uprooted trees and floodwaters carving through farmland and settlements. “Access to some of the affected areas remains extremely difficult due to flooding and blocked routes,” the organisation said in a statement on X. It added that it was working with state agencies to coordinate rescue operations and had deployed teams to support evacuations, including by air.
Residents described harrowing scenes as the landslide tore through their homes in the middle of the night. Local resident Stephen Kittony told Citizen Television that he heard a deafening sound before rushing from his house with his children, fleeing in different directions to escape the oncoming deluge. Rescue teams, volunteers and local authorities continued digging through the mud on Saturday, despite ongoing heavy rain, using shovels and excavators in the search for survivors and bodies.
The area is known to be highly vulnerable to landslides, particularly during intense rainfall. In 2010 and 2012, separate landslides in the same region killed dozens of people. In 2020, a shopping centre was swept away by flash floods, highlighting the persistent risk faced by residents living along steep slopes and river valleys.
The current rains have been particularly severe across parts of Kenya, swelling rivers and saturating hillsides. The disaster in Marakwet East has renewed concerns over climate-related vulnerabilities in rural and mountainous regions, where deforestation, soil erosion and unregulated construction have exacerbated the impact of extreme weather.
Murkomen said the government was working with humanitarian organisations and local authorities to support affected families and ensure the recovery of those still missing. He added that relief supplies, including food, blankets and medical equipment, were being transported to displacement centres in the region.
Emergency shelters have been set up for families who lost their homes, while schools and churches have been opened to accommodate displaced people. Local leaders have appealed for more support, saying that some villages remain cut off and in urgent need of assistance.
Helicopters deployed by the military and the Red Cross continued to ferry supplies and evacuate the injured throughout Saturday, while ground teams attempted to clear blocked roads. Authorities have urged residents in high-risk areas to move to safer ground as further rainfall is expected in the coming days.
While the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, initial reports indicate that farms, livestock and small businesses have also been destroyed. Humanitarian agencies warn that the disaster could worsen food insecurity in the region, where many depend on subsistence farming.
The Kenyan Meteorological Department has forecast continued rainfall in western and central parts of the country, cautioning that conditions remain favourable for further landslides and flooding. Local disaster agencies are on high alert, monitoring river levels and working to warn communities in danger zones.
As rescue efforts resume, families of the missing continue to wait for news. Community members have gathered at makeshift collection centres, some clutching photographs of relatives, others helping to prepare food and provide support to survivors.
The government has not yet released an official list of the missing but has urged families to report unaccounted-for relatives to local authorities. The scale of the destruction and the number of homes swept away have raised fears that the death toll could rise as search operations continue.
With rainfall continuing to pound the region, emergency teams face a race against time to reach remote settlements and recover survivors from beneath the debris. The disaster has again exposed the deadly consequences of extreme weather in vulnerable communities and underlined the urgent need for improved planning, infrastructure and early-warning systems in landslide-prone areas of Kenya.
