Mr Joseph Cheptumo and his family were asleep when a thunderous roar shook his home in Kasegei village, Chesongoch, in the early morning hours of Friday night.
In a split second, he woke up and rushed outside, only to encounter large boulders and torrents of muddy water being swept downstream.
He hurried back to wake his wife and children, who were still asleep, instructing them to flee to a safer area, and then ran about 200 metres to his neighbour’s house to alert them to the danger.
West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin (left), and his Elgeyo Marakwet counterpart Wisley Rotich join public during a search for bodies at Murkutwo, in Kerio Valley, Elgeyo-Marakwet County on November 4, 2025.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
Within minutes, boulders and muddy torrents from the Tirap Escarpment crashed down the slopes, sweeping away homes, crops, and livestock.
In that terrifying moment, split-second decisions saved his life and that of his family.
Across the village, others faced the same nightmare, racing against mud and rock to escape death, rescuing loved ones, and witnessing their lives vanish in minutes.
Joseph Cheptumo (right) and his neighbour Donald Kipkorir retrieve bedding from what used to be Cheptumo’s bedroom on November 5, 2025. Their houses were swept away by mudslides on Friday night in Kasegei village, Chesongoch, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
The 48-year-old father of seven described the chaos he witnessed when he ran outside to find out what was happening.
“I woke up to the sound of rocks tumbling and water rushing. I ran outside and saw huge boulders being washed downstream. I went back to wake my wife and children, telling them to run to safety, then dashed to alert my neighbours,” he recalled.
His quick action spared his family, even as much of the village was being destroyed.
Mr Cheptumo attempted to reach his cousin, Mr Lawrence Kisakan, a medic who had just returned from work in Turkana County the previous day, only to discover that the mudslides had already cut off access to the house, forming a river of debris.
He was forced to return home, and had barely got a few steps away when he heard a loud bang.
He watched his three-roomed house and kitchen being washed downstream, and right there, he knew he had just escaped death.
“I am very lucky to be alive. The quick decisions to wake my family and get out saved us,” he said.
His cousin Kisakan, who was hosting his mother, grandmother, and two relatives when the mudslides struck, was not as lucky, while two other relatives who were in the same house sustained serious injuries.
The medic, his mother, and grandmother died, while the two other relatives survived and are recovering at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
The bodies of the deceased were recovered near the Kerio River, close to where their home once stood.
Joseph Cheptumo retrieves bedding from what used to be Cheptumo’s bedroom on November 5, 2025. Their houses were swept away by mudslides on Friday night in Kasegei village, Chesongoch, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
A spot check by the Daily Nation at the village on Wednesday revealed that Mr Cheptumo’s house had been destroyed, leaving only a few scattered iron sheets, a mattress and blanket recovered from the debris, a shoe, and a mangled kettle.
Other neighbouring homes had also been swept away, with debris piled as high as five metres.
“It was every man for himself, and we could save nothing except the clothes we had on us. But we are alive, and for that, I thank God,” Mr Cheptumo said.
The debris buried his mango trees, some of which were nearly ten metres high.
“I have nowhere to live and nothing to call my own. In just one night, I was rendered a pauper. I appeal to the State to help us find somewhere safe to live. I am yet to come to terms with what happened and remain shocked at how narrowly I escaped the tragedy,” he said.
His neighbour, Mr John Tarus, narrowly escaped death while trying to rescue his ageing mother. He described his narrow escape with his wife, five children, and two neighbours’ children. In total, there were ten people in his house that night.
Tarus recalled waking up to a loud bang and went outside, only to see mudslides rolling down the slopes. His wife fell with the child she was carrying as they fled, and he rushed to help her.
He then realised that his ageing mother had not made it out of the house. He rushed back to save her but saw the mudslides flowing towards him, forcing him to flee. Just minutes later, his three-roomed house, with his mother inside, was swept away and buried by the debris.
“I am lucky to be alive today. Just as I was rushing to save my mother, who was still trapped in the house, the debris rolled mere metres from where I stood, and I managed to escape to safety. I ran for safety just minutes before the debris buried our three-roomed house,” he said.
Massive rocks at a homestead in Kipkenda village, Keiyo North of Elgeyo Marakwet County on November 3, 2025.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
“While I thank God for saving my life, I am heartbroken that my mother was buried by the debris,” said the father of five, noting that her body was recovered on Tuesday.
The whole incident took only a few minutes, yet the mud and debris swept down the slopes as far as 40 kilometres into the valley. The destruction was widespread.
A spot check revealed houses washed away, with only a few iron sheets and household items mixed in the debris. Mud and boulders as high as five metres covered the former compounds.
“I am still shocked that I survived. The debris buried everything I had, including my house, mango farm, and livestock. Just one night destroyed our lives, but I am grateful to be alive,” Tarus said.
The tragedy claimed the lives of more than 35 people, left several missing, and displaced over 1,500 households in Kasegei, Kaptul, Kwemoi, and Kipkirwon villages.
Survivors are now being hosted at the nearby Queen of Peace Secondary School, struggling to come to terms with the loss of homes, livelihoods, and loved ones.
Environment CS Deborah Barasa, who toured the area on Tuesday, said 21 victims remain in the hospital while 14 have been discharged. She noted that the government is mapping landslide and flood-prone areas to relocate affected communities to safer locations, in collaboration with county authorities.
