21 Dead, Dozens Missing in Western Kenya Landslide 

At least twenty-one people have been confirmed dead and more than thirty others remain missing after a massive landslide struck parts of Marakwet East in western Kenya on Saturday night, following days of relentless rainfall.

Kenya’s Interior Minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, said in a statement on X that families in several villages were caught unawares as mud and debris swept through homes and farmland during the downpour.

“We have confirmed the loss of 21 people to this tragedy, while over 30 people are still unaccounted for as reported by their families,” Murkomen said, adding that search and rescue efforts had been temporarily halted due to poor visibility and dangerous terrain.

The Kenyan Red Cross described the scale of destruction as extensive, releasing aerial photographs showing entire sections of land submerged under mud and floodwater.

The organisation said it was working closely with the government to coordinate rescue operations, including air evacuations for severely injured victims.

“Access to some of the affected areas remains extremely difficult due to flooding and blocked routes,” it said, noting that emergency teams were battling harsh conditions to reach cut-off communities.

Local officials said hundreds of residents had been displaced, with temporary shelters being set up in nearby towns as rescuers continued to dig through debris in search of survivors.

The disaster comes amid Kenya’s ongoing rainy season, which has triggered widespread flooding and landslides in multiple counties.

In recent weeks, heavy rains have claimed several lives, destroyed bridges, and disrupted road networks, particularly in the Rift Valley and western regions.

Climate experts have attributed the increasing frequency of such disasters to changing weather patterns linked to global warming, warning that more severe rainfall could continue through November.

President William Ruto is expected to visit the affected region once rescue operations stabilise. The government has also pledged emergency relief materials and financial support for affected families.

Kenya, along with other East African countries, has faced a series of climate-induced calamities in recent years, from droughts that devastated crops and livestock to floods that have washed away entire villages, heightening calls for stronger disaster preparedness and environmental management systems.