Kenyan landslide kills 21 after heavy rainfall

The Kenyan government has confirmed that 21 people died in a landslide that occurred after heavy rains in the western part of the country.

Home Affairs Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said the bodies were transferred to a nearby airstrip following a landslide in Marakwet East late Friday night.

In X, he said that more than 30 people who were reported missing by their families have still not been heard from, while 25 seriously injured people were transported by plane to receive more medical attention.

The Kenya Red Cross, which is helping coordinate rescue efforts, said the worst-hit areas were still inaccessible by road due to landslides and flash flooding.

The Kenyan government paused search and rescue operations on Saturday evening but said it would resume on Sunday.

Murkomen stated that “preparations are continuing to provide more food and non-food aid materials to the victims” and added, “Military and police helicopters are ready to transport these materials.” he said.

Kenya is in its second rainy season, which typically sees several weeks of wet weather compared to a busier and longer period earlier in the year.

The government urged people living near seasonal rivers, as well as people living in areas where landslides occurred on Friday, to move to safer places.

Meanwhile, floods and landslides that have occurred in Uganda, close to the Kenyan border, since last Wednesday have caused the death of many people.

On Saturday, the Uganda Red Cross said another landslide occurred in the village of Kapsomo in the east of the country, destroying a house and killing four people inside.

The Red Cross said floods have severely affected most of the riverside villages in Bulambuli District.

He said persistent heavy rains caused the Astiri River and Sipi River to overflow, “causing widespread destruction of homes, crop fields and community infrastructure.”