Survivors Recount Harrowing Experience as Elgeyo Marakwet Landslide Claims 30 Lives
The government has since deployed helicopters and other aerial support to assist with evacuation and deliver medical supplies.
The government has since deployed helicopters and other aerial support to assist with evacuation and deliver medical supplies. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
Survivors of the destructive landslide in Elgeyo Marakwet County have been recounting their terrifying experiences as rescue teams continue searching for those still missing. The disaster struck at night and so far has claimed at least 30 lives, with 19 more people still unaccounted for. A number of the victims are currently undergoing treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
One of the survivors is Margaret Kiptoo, who lived with her disabled son. She recounted the dramatic moments before the landslide that hit the region, noting that she thought the initial rumbling was heavy rain. “I heard strange noises outside and stepped out to check. I thought it was just water flowing down the river and went back to sleep,” she recounted. Moments later, she was buried under mud and stones. “Rocks fell on me, and I couldn’t see my child. My mouth was filled with mud and water,” she added, her voice breaking as she spoke about her son, who is still missing.
Another survivor, 89-year-old resident Gabriel Yego, said the tragedy occurred at a time when most villagers were asleep, thus leaving them with little time to act. “It was something we have never experienced before. The water came rushing with force, carrying everything in its path. Many people were swept away,” he said.
Other survivors described a desperate scramble for safety, with people running barefoot across rocky terrain as torrents of water and mud chased them downhill. Others managed to climb trees or cling to rocks, narrowly escaping the deadly slide that flattened homes and buried entire families.
The leaders who visited the place, among them Uasin Gishu County MP Gladys Boss Shollei, former MPs Jackson Kiptanui, and Linah Kilimo, called for long-lasting ways of ensuring such disasters do not happen in the future. They said what the government should be focusing on includes good land use planning, putting in place early warning systems, and relocating people who live in high-risk zones.
These factors, coupled with impassable roads and blocked routes, have frustrated search and rescue operations in Chesongoch amidst harsh weather conditions and unstable terrain. The government has since deployed helicopters and other aerial support to assist with evacuation and deliver medical supplies.
The Ministry of Interior has warned that heavy rains will continue in several parts of the country, increasing the risk of further floods and landslides, especially in mountainous and riverine areas. Rescue, relief, and evacuation efforts are being conducted by a multi-agency team involving the Kenya Red Cross, National Police Service, and NGAOs. Authorities urge people in the affected areas to be vigilant and shift to safer places as the operation to retrieve missing persons and care for survivors continues.
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