Kerio Valley Mudslides Leave at Least 20 Dead as Rescue Operations Continue

At least 20 people have been killed and many others injured or reported missing after a series of mudslides swept through Kenya’s Kerio Valley, destroying homes and cutting off several villages in Elgeyo Marakwet County.

The disaster, caused by continuous heavy rainfall, has hit the Embobut area particularly hard. Emergency teams are working to reach isolated residents as collapsed roads and bridges hamper rescue efforts. Military aircraft have been deployed to support evacuations and deliver essential supplies to affected communities.

Three Kenya Defence Forces helicopters are airlifting the injured to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, about 30 minutes away. Medical workers and Kenya Red Cross teams have also been flown in to assist local responders on the ground.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen arrived in Marakwet East to oversee the government’s response.

He described the incident as a devastating landslide that has destroyed homes and key infrastructure, saying national and county authorities are coordinating relief efforts in Endo, Sambirir, and Embobut Wards. At the Eldoret Airstrip, Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat is leading operations to receive casualties, with ambulances ready to transfer patients to nearby hospitals.

Medical facilities in Eldoret are on high alert, and additional ambulances have been dispatched from neighbouring counties. Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Wisley Rotich confirmed that regional leaders are jointly coordinating aid distribution and support for displaced families.

Local officials have reported extensive damage and rising casualties. Paul Yatich, Member of County Assembly for Embobut, said six bodies were recovered in his ward and 11 others elsewhere in Kerio Valley. He urged residents in landslide-prone areas to move to safer ground and warned against attempting to cross flooded rivers.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing as authorities work to locate missing persons and reopen blocked routes.