At least 13 dead, several missing after landslide hits Kenya’s Rift Valley

At least 13 people died and several others went missing after a landslide struck Kenya’s Rift Valley following heavy rains. Nineteen people were rescued as helicopters joined ongoing search efforts. Officials linked the tragedy to worsening extreme weather fueled by climate change. Similar disasters have killed hundreds in Kenya, including 61 people last year, while neighboring Uganda also reported 13 deaths from landslides this week.

At least thirteen people have been confirmed dead following a landslide that struck Kenya’s Rift Valley early on Saturday morning after hours of heavy rainfall. The incident occurred in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, one of the regions hardest hit by the recent downpour. Local authorities said the disaster caught residents by surprise as mud and debris swept through homes and farmland in the early hours, leaving destruction in its wake.

Elgeyo-Marakwet County Police Commander Peter Mulinge told Reuters that nineteen people had been rescued from the affected area, though the exact number of missing persons remains unclear. Rescue teams, assisted by local residents, have been working tirelessly to dig through the mud in search of survivors. Many of those rescued were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment of injuries sustained during the landslide.

Kenya’s Interior Minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, said in an official statement that the government had deployed both military and police helicopters to help in the rescue and relief operations. He assured the public that every available resource was being mobilized to reach those trapped and provide assistance to displaced families. Murkomen also expressed condolences to the families who lost loved ones and urged residents in high-risk areas to relocate temporarily as more rain was expected.

In recent years, Kenya has experienced numerous weather-related disasters, with flooding and landslides claiming hundreds of lives across various regions. Experts have repeatedly warned that the intensifying weather patterns are linked to climate change, which has led to heavier rainfall and soil instability in mountainous and hilly areas. Scientists say these disasters will likely continue unless measures are taken to improve drainage systems, strengthen early warning mechanisms, and promote environmental conservation.

Last year, the country faced one of its deadliest weather events when mudslides and flash floods in central Kenya killed sixty-one people and displaced hundreds more. Similar tragedies have also occurred in neighbouring Uganda, where the Uganda Red Cross reported that at least thirteen people died this week in landslides triggered by torrential rain in the country’s eastern region.

Authorities in both Kenya and Uganda have been warning residents to remain cautious and to heed evacuation alerts as the rainy season intensifies. The recurring disasters have renewed calls for regional cooperation in addressing the growing threat of climate-induced emergencies in East Africa.