Heavy rains triggered landslides overnight in Chesongoch, Elgeyo-Marakwet County, killing at least 21 people and destroying over 1,000 homes. Around 25 seriously injured victims were airlifted to Eldoret for treatment, while roughly 30 people remain missing. Rescue operations will resume with support from military and police units, and the Kenyan Red Cross is coordinating relief and air evacuations. Chesongoch has a history of deadly landslides, including major incidents in 2010, 2012 and 2020.
Landslides in Kenya’s Rift Valley Kill 21, Leave 30 Missing; Over 1,000 Homes Destroyed
Heavy rains triggered landslides overnight in Chesongoch, Elgeyo-Marakwet County, killing at least 21 people and destroying over 1,000 homes. Around 25 seriously injured victims were airlifted to Eldoret for treatment, while roughly 30 people remain missing. Rescue operations will resume with support from military and police units, and the Kenyan Red Cross is coordinating relief and air evacuations. Chesongoch has a history of deadly landslides, including major incidents in 2010, 2012 and 2020.
12:42, 02.11.2025Environment
Deadly landslides sweep Chesongoch, Elgeyo-Marakwet
Heavy rains overnight triggered multiple landslides in the steep Chesongoch area of Elgeyo-Marakwet County in Kenya’s western Rift Valley, killing at least 21 people and destroying more than 1,000 homes, officials said.
Rescue operations and relief
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said on X that about 25 people with serious injuries were airlifted to Eldoret for urgent medical treatment, while roughly 30 people remain missing. He said rescue efforts would resume on Sunday with support from the military and police.
“Preparations to deliver additional food and non-food relief items to affected families are ongoing. Military and police helicopters are on standby to transport the items,” Mr. Murkomen said.
Humanitarian response
The Kenyan Red Cross released aerial images showing vast mudflows and flash floods across the landscape and said it was coordinating search-and-rescue operations with government teams. The organisation also reported that access to some affected areas remains extremely difficult because of flooding and blocked routes, complicating relief work and evacuations.
Eyewitness accounts
Local resident Stephen Kittony told Citizen Television he awoke to a deafening crash. He and his children fled their home as a surge of mud and water swept down the hillside.
Background
Chesongoch is prone to landslides. Separate deadly incidents in 2010 and 2012 claimed dozens of lives, and raging floods in 2020 washed away a shopping centre in the area. Authorities have warned that the region’s steep terrain and heavy seasonal rains make it particularly vulnerable to such disasters.
What happens next
Officials said search-and-rescue efforts will continue, with military and police aircraft helping to ferry the injured and deliver relief supplies. Humanitarian agencies and county teams are mobilising to provide shelter, food and medical care to survivors while attempting to reach isolated communities.