NAIROBI, Kenya – A devastating landslide, triggered by incessant heavy rainfall, has struck the mountainous western region of Kenya, leaving a trail of death and destruction. As of early Sunday, November 2, 2025, authorities confirmed that at least 21 people were killed, with frantic search and rescue operations ongoing for over 30 people still unaccounted for.

The disaster unfolded overnight Friday in the hilly area of Marakwet East, within Elgeyo Marakwet County in Kenya’s Rift Valley region. Villages including Endo, Sambirir, and Embobut were among the hardest hit as torrents of mud, earth, and debris swept down the slopes. The heavy rains are part of the country’s ongoing short rains season, which has recently intensified, causing widespread flooding and cutting off vital road networks across the region.

The sheer scale of the mudslides destroyed more than 1,000 homes in the affected areas, displacing countless families and completely washing away a shopping centre in the historically vulnerable area of Chesongoch. Eyewitness accounts paint a grim picture, with one local resident, Stephen Kittony, telling the Citizen Television station that he heard a "deafening sound" before he and his children scrambled out of their house and ran for their lives in different directions.

Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen provided an update via social media, confirming the grim toll. He noted that the search and rescue efforts, involving teams from the military, police, and local communities, were temporarily paused on Saturday evening due to the continuous danger of fresh mudslides and blocked access routes. Operations were scheduled to resume on Sunday morning, with military and police helicopters on standby for further assistance and the transport of crucial food and non-food relief items.

The minister also confirmed that 25 people with serious injuries were successfully airlifted to a hospital in Eldoret City for urgent medical attention, while others with minor wounds received local treatment.

Minister Murkomen has issued a stark public safety warning, urging all residents near seasonal rivers and in areas previously affected by landslides to immediately evacuate to safer ground. The government is reportedly working to identify and establish alternative settlement areas for the newly displaced families.

This region has a tragic history of such disasters, with fatal landslides recorded in 2010, 2012, and devastating floods in 2020. Weather experts attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of these extreme weather events to climate change, compounded by poor soil conservation practices that render the hilly terrain highly susceptible to erosion during periods of torrential rain. With the Kenya Meteorological Department warning that heavy rainfall is expected to persist, the risk of further flash floods and landslides remains critically high.

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