At least 22 people have been confirmed dead and dozens remain missing after a powerful landslide swept through Chesongoch in Kenya’s Elgeyo Marakwet County during a night of torrential rain, authorities said Sunday.
Triggered by hours of relentless downpour, the landslide tore through homes, farms and roads in the steep Rift Valley terrain, burying families in their sleep. Rescue teams spent the day wading through thick mud and debris as desperate relatives searched for loved ones still unaccounted for.
County officials said more than 1,000 homes were destroyed or rendered unsafe. The region’s roads were blocked by fallen earth, complicating access for emergency workers and slowing the delivery of relief supplies.
By afternoon, helicopters were airlifting the injured to hospitals in Eldoret. At least 25 survivors sustained serious injuries, while several others received treatment at makeshift emergency centres established by local responders and the Kenya Red Cross.
Elgeyo Marakwet County Commissioner Samuel Kiplagat said search operations were ongoing, warning that the death toll could rise as teams reach previously inaccessible areas. “The ground remains unstable, and the heavy rains are still pounding. Our priority is rescuing those trapped and relocating survivors to safer ground,” he said.
The Kenyan government has deployed disaster response units to assist local authorities with plans to relocate residents living on vulnerable slopes once rescue efforts conclude. Relief agencies have also launched appeals for food, shelter and clean water for displaced families.
The Chesongoch area has a long history of landslides, worsened by deforestation and unplanned settlement on steep hillsides. Experts say the current short rains season has intensified soil saturation, heightening the risk of further collapses.
Survivors described a night of terror. “We heard a rumbling like thunder and then everything went dark,” said one resident who lost her home. “When the rain stopped, we could hear people crying for help in the distance.”
Authorities have urged residents in high-risk zones to evacuate as more rain is forecast in the coming days. The Ministry of Environment and disaster management agencies are mapping danger zones and planning emergency drills to prevent repeat tragedies.