At about 8:30am on Saturday, Leonard Kanda gathered a dozen youths at Chesongoch shopping centre in Kerio Valley to continue the search for 11 people still unaccounted for after a devastating landslide struck the area over a week ago. The tragedy has already claimed 37 lives.
Armed with rudimentary tools — jembes, machetes, spades, and sticks — the group waded through rocks and debris along the Enou River before heading towards Kipkirwon village. Among those missing is their peer, Martin Kiptoo, a university student at Egerton, along with other villagers believed to have been swept away while asleep.
Other search teams were combing areas along different routes cut off by the landslide, accessible only on foot. Saturday marked the eighth day of the search, with teams digging through heaps of debris, alert to foul smells or swarming flies that could indicate decomposing bodies.
The aftermath of the mudslide in Kerio Valley, Elgeyo Marakwet County in this photo taken on November 6, 2025.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya I Nation
From the morning after the landslide, rescue efforts had begun at the Tirap escarpment, where the disaster originated, extending more than 40 kilometres to River Kerio in the hope of locating the missing.
“For a week, we have combed the escarpment down to the river. We are now focusing on digging through soil and debris that may have covered bodies under rocks, trees, and other materials deposited by the landslide,” said Kanda.
At the time of reporting, teams were concentrating along the riverbanks.
“Though we have yet to find the three missing people in this village, we wake every day hoping that today will bring results,” he added.
Each morning, the youths mobilise, splitting into groups to cover different areas, before reconvening at St Maurus Academy to share their findings.
“The first two days were extremely challenging. The terrain was muddy and littered with rocks, and roads were impassable. We could only cover small areas on foot. At night, exhaustion overwhelms you, but you have to rise the next morning and continue the search,” Kanda explained.
Among those joining the search was 68-year-old Jeniffer Yano, who lost three granddaughters aged between two and 12. One child’s body was recovered shortly after the landslide, while two – a grade seven pupil and her two-year-old sister – remain missing.
Yano recalled the night of the disaster. She had been asleep with her grandchildren when she heard a roaring sound from the nearby river. Moments later, large trees crashed into her compound.
“I woke my grandchildren and tried to flee, but trees being carried downstream forced me back. I clung to reeds and reached safety, only to see my son’s and neighbour’s houses swept away,” she said.
In the morning, villagers rescued her son, Philemon Kiptoo, his wife, and one child trapped in the mud by the river. Another child had died, while the two youngest remained missing. The survivors are receiving treatment at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret.
Yano now joins the search party daily, hoping to find her granddaughters. She and the youths dig through debris where items such as neighbours’ clothing have been recovered.
“There is no place I have not searched, no stone left unturned, even along the river tens of kilometres away. I have yet to detect any smell of decomposing bodies. I believe the children may still be buried under mud close to home,” she said.
“I pray to God we recover them. Even if only bones are found, I will be satisfied. Without this, how can I give them a proper burial and find closure?” she added, her voice trembling.
The landslide flattened the area where Martin Kiptoo lived. Only some of his muddy clothing was recovered along the river.
Joining Yano was her 75-year-old husband, Yano Cherop, determined to locate their missing grandchildren.
“I cannot stop searching while my grandchildren are missing. I will not tire until I find them,” he said.
Officials work to open the damaged road at Murkutwo in Elgeyo Marakwet County on November 4, 2025, following mudslides.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation
Raynold Ruto, elder brother to Martin Kiptoo, said he was at KMTC Iten when he received urgent calls from villagers about the disaster. Returning home the following day, he found their house and his brother’s residence swept away. Some of Martin’s clothing was recovered from the river.
“We also lost livestock. We continue searching for my brother’s remains. He was my only sibling, and I will not rest until he is found,” he said.
Susan Kaino, Martin’s mother, also joined the search, instructing teams to dig around debris atop a tree along the river, hoping her son could be trapped there.
“I am drained physically and emotionally. I have searched every possible spot, yet I still believe he will be found,” she said.
The aftermath of a mudslide in Kipkenda village, Keiyo North of Elgeyo Marakwet County in this photo taken on November 3, 2025.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya I Nation
Philemon Kiprotich, a local leader coordinating the search, explained that teams are assigned daily areas to cover.
“We end our search at 5pm each day. We continue walking, hoping for results. Even finding bones would bring relief, as our customs do not permit burials for missing persons,” he said.
“Sometimes, despite all our efforts, we find nothing. But the hope of success the next day keeps us going,” he added.
Locals said the military deployed sniffer dogs on Monday and Tuesday, only to withdraw them after it was noted they could only trace living people.
“Most bodies recovered after Sunday were decomposed. Lacking protective gear, including face masks, we sought help from the Red Cross, who retrieved the bodies. Many involved in the search face mental health challenges, particularly family members confronting decomposing remains without counselling,” a local said.
He highlighted the urgent need for psychosocial support, as most local counsellors finish work before search teams return from missions.
As of Saturday, Elgeyo Marakwet County Commissioner Julius Maiyo reported more than 28 deaths in Kerio Valley, seven in Marakwet East, and two in Keiyo North sub-counties. Over 212 displaced families from Chesongoch are camped at a temporary facility at Chesongoch Primary School.
The search continues, driven by hope, grief, and a community’s determination to find closure amidst one of the region’s deadliest landslides.
