It started small, just before residents of three wards in Elgeyo Marakwet County went to sleep.
In Embobut-Embolot, Endo, and Sambiri wards, families had ended a rainy Friday worried about the amount of water, and fearing a recurrence of mudslides that struck in 2010, 2019 and 2020 with devastating effects.
Ms Evalyn Chesoi said their initial assessment of the situation changed just after midnight when the now familiar “booming” sound of a potential landslide shattered the quiet of their houses as they slept.
“We quickly woke family members and neighbours because the sound of the fast-flowing water had suddenly changed. Here, that means danger and death,” Ms Chesoi said on Saturday.
Unfortunately, not everyone was lucky.
By last evening, 21 people had been confirmed dead, while 30 others were still missing. The chilling feeling in the three wards is that the death toll will rise.
A house submerged in a sludge at Murkutwo in Kerio Valley, Elgeyo Marakwet County, on November 1, 2025 following a mudslide on Friday night.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya| Nation Media Group
At least 25 people have been taken to hospital with serious injuries after being buried or hit by boulders, stones and the many buildings carried by the mud.
Mr Evans Suter, a resident, narrowly escaped the disaster but lost six relatives, including a child.
“It was a nightmare. I was awoken by a thunderous sound, similar to a large helicopter landing,” the villager said.
“Before I could comprehend what was happening, the mud swept our houses away, taking my family.”
Mr Dismus Kipchebet, another resident, described the landslide as devastating.
“I too have lost six family members, including my father-in-law, two brothers-in-law, a sister and her co-wife. Their son is still missing,” Mr Kipchebet narrated, his eyes welling up with tears.
“This tragedy has devastated our village and left everyone in shock. Survivors will need counselling and aid to cope with the huge loss.”
The area is in mourning, with residents appealing to the government to move them to safer places in an effort to prevent future calamities.
NTV team witnesses first-hand debris washing following Marakwet landslide that killed 21
“We can no longer continue to live in this area because no one knows when the next disaster will strike,” another resident told the Sunday Nation.
While coordinating the search and rescue operations, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the three wards were the worst hit.
The minister added that the team has rescued more than 25 injured people and taken them to hospital.
Military and police helicopters were deployed in the affected region to fly the rescued people to hospital or safer places.
“More than 30 people are unaccounted for. We are doing everything we can to rescue those trapped and ensure the injured get treated,” Mr Murkomen said.
The Friday night tragedy has displaced many families, too.
The injured villagers were flown to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Eliud Lagat, oversaw the operation in Eldoret.
Government administration officers, the National Police Service, the Kenya Defence Forces, the Kenya Red Cross and other organisations were part of the multi-agency team under Mr Murkomen.
The teams continue to coordinate response, surveillance and humanitarian assistance in the affected areas.
“We have established a desk for families to report missing people and will continue the search,” he said.
Plans are underway to provide continuous updates on the search and rescue mission. There are efforts to restore the destroyed roads to enable access for emergency and relief operations, he said.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkommen (right) accompanied by Elgeyo Marakwet County Governor Wisley Rotich and other leaders address the press at Chesongoch after 21 people were killed following mudslide in Kerio, Elgeyo Marakwet County on November 1, 2025,
Photo credit: .Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
The Kenya Red Cross posted videos on X that showed the affected area having been turned into a river.
“Access to some of the affected areas remains extremely difficult due to flooding and blocked routes, but our teams continue to work tirelessly to reach those in need,” it said in one of the posts.
The tragedy is a grim reminder of the region’s vulnerability to landslides, especially during heavy rains.
Elgeyo Marakwet has experienced similar incidents in the past, which led to loss of lives, destruction of property and degradation of the environment.
It is among the regions in Kenya most prone to landslides, particularly the steep escarpment zones and Kerio Valley lowlands.
With rainfall, the saturated ground loses its grip, triggering mudslides that sweep away farms, buildings, vegetation and infrastructure.
Deforestation and increased human activity have been blamed for the increasing number of landslides.
Widespread clearing of forests for farming, settlement and firewood has reduced vegetation cover.
With the region sitting on faultlines and weak soil layers, these natural and human-induced factors are contributing to more landslides than before.
In its statement, the Meteorological Department warned of heavy rainfall in Elgeyo Marakwet and several other counties.
It added that the rains would persist in many regions across the country, heightening the risk of floods and landslides, particularly in hilly and riverine regions.
Authorities have repeatedly advised residents of such areas to move to safer grounds during periods of heavy rainfall.
The devolved government of Elgeyo Marakwet identified and mapped high-risk landslide zones but faced challenges in resettling the families.
As the death toll rises, the community is coming together to support those affected. The government has promised assistance, but the road to recovery will be long and difficult for the grieving households.
Locals interviewed said the tragedy has highlighted the need for strong disaster preparedness and mitigation measures in Kerio Valley.
