Residents of Chesongoch village in Elgeyo Marakwet County are still in shock after a deadly landslide swept through their homes on Saturday night, killing at least 30 people and leaving 19 others missing.
Rescue teams are continuing to dig through the rubble as survivors nurse injuries and deep emotional wounds at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret.
The landslide struck suddenly in the middle of the night after hours of heavy rainfall. Survivors say the sound of rushing water and falling rocks gave them little time to react before their houses were buried under mud.
Margaret Kiptoo, one of the survivors, recalled the terrifying moment she lost her son, who is still missing.
“I heard some noise outside and thought it was just water flowing down the river.
I went back to bed. Moments later, huge rocks fell on my house. I couldn’t see my child,” she said tearfully.
“Soon, my mouth was full of mud and water. I thought I would die.”
Another survivor, Gabriel Yego, 89, said he had never seen such destruction in his lifetime.
“It was the first time I had seen something like that. The water was too much; it swept away everything, even people,” he said.
Others described running barefoot through rocks and debris, trying to escape the flood in complete darkness.
Rescue operations have been complicated by blocked roads and impassable terrain, forcing emergency teams to use helicopters to reach trapped residents.
A multi-agency team comprising the Kenya Red Cross, National Police Service, and local administration is coordinating efforts to recover bodies, provide medical care, and distribute food and blankets to displaced families.
The government has deployed aerial support for evacuation and medical aid. Local leaders, including Uasin Gishu MP Gladys Boss Shollei and former legislators Jackson Kiptanui and Linah Kilimo, visited the area and called for long-term solutions to prevent future disasters.
“We must address deforestation, poor land use, and unsafe settlements on hillsides. This tragedy should be a wake-up call,” said Boss Shollei.
The Ministry of Interior has issued a warning that heavy rainfall will continue in several parts of the country, increasing the risk of floods and landslides, especially in hilly and riverine regions.
Residents have been urged to move to safer ground as weather experts predict more intense rainfall in the coming days.
For now, the people of Chesongoch are clinging to hope — that their missing loved ones will be found, and that life will one day return to normal.
