Over 20 people have died in two landslides in Elgeyo Marakwet over three days, with the total reaching 26 according to reports. The incidents were triggered by heavy rains, and rescue operations are ongoing. Governor Wisley Rotich confirmed two more deaths on Sunday night.
Landslides have struck Elgeyo Marakwet county in Kenya's Kerio Valley, where over 20 people have died in incidents spanning three days. The first landslide occurred in the early hours of Saturday, November 1, 2025, in Moror Village and Chesongoch Centre, following heavy overnight rains. It was triggered by water seeping into the ground, adding weight to the slope, increasing pressure, and reducing friction in soil and rock.
Two days later, or according to another report on Sunday night, November 2, 2025, another landslide hit Kipkenda Village (or Kapkenda), Kibendo, Emsoo Ward, Keiyo North. Here, a 57-year-old man and his 11-year-old grandson were killed when a large rock from the mountain buried them during dinner. The total death toll in a similar incident in Marakwet Mashariki has reached 26, with others still missing.
Governor Wisley Rotich stated: “County disaster response officials, health officers, chief, and residents arrived at the scene and rushed the affected to Iten Referral Hospital. But it is regrettable that we lost two people after a large rock hit the house where they were.”
Survivor Mzee Joseph Chemweno described: “I heard a rumbling sound while we were having dinner. Suddenly, my wife and grandson were buried by large rocks that had fallen from the mountain. Efforts to save them did not succeed.”
These landslides resemble mudslides, where water-saturated soil flows rapidly, potentially at speeds of 56 kilometers per hour. The government has launched rescue operations. Prevention measures include building stable slopes, installing surface drainage, and avoiding construction in prone areas. However, reports differ slightly on the date of the second incident: November 2 or 3.