Kenya 1 November 2025 - At least 15 people have been confirmed dead and several others reported missing after devastating mudslides swept through parts of Elgeyo Marakwet County following days of torrential rainfall.
The mudslides, which struck overnight, flattened homes, uprooted trees, and cut off key access roads, leaving rescue teams struggling to reach the most affected villages. Several families are feared trapped beneath the debris as efforts to locate survivors continue.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has ordered the immediate deployment of helicopters and additional emergency personnel to assist with ongoing rescue operations. Security agencies, Kenya Red Cross teams, and county disaster response units have been mobilized to Chesongoch and surrounding areas, which have borne the brunt of the disaster.
Elgeyo Marakwet County Police Commander Zablon Okoyo confirmed that at least ten bodies had been recovered by Friday morning. “Heavy rains have pounded this region for days, and at about 2 a.m., the saturated upper slopes gave way, sending a huge wave of mud and debris down the valley,” Okoyo said by phone.
He noted that several homes were swept away, with roads linking villages such as Korou, Kakibigen, and Morror rendered impassable. “We are still accounting for residents who were in the affected areas when the mudslides occurred,” he added.
At Chesongoch Mission Hospital, medical staff and patients were forced to evacuate after floodwaters breached the facility. The patients were transferred to safer locations within the area as rescuers worked to clear access routes and restore communication lines.
Witnesses described a terrifying night as the mud roared through the villages, destroying everything in its path. “We heard loud rumbling sounds, and within minutes the mud was everywhere,” said one resident. “People were screaming and running in the dark.”
The Kenya Meteorological Department has warned that heavy rainfall is expected to persist in parts of the Rift Valley and western Kenya over the coming days, heightening fears of more landslides and flooding.
Environmental experts say a combination of deforestation, farming on steep slopes, and poor drainage has worsened the region’s vulnerability to landslides. They urged local communities to relocate temporarily from high-risk zones until conditions stabilize.
Local leaders have called for urgent humanitarian assistance for displaced families, many of whom have lost everything. Temporary shelters are being set up in nearby schools and churches as authorities coordinate relief efforts.
As rescue and recovery operations continue, residents have been advised to remain vigilant and heed evacuation warnings issued by local administrators and disaster response teams.