Death toll in Elgeyo mudslide tragedy rises to 26

Red Cross workers offloading bodies from a chopper at the Eldoret Airstrip./MATHEWS NDANYI

Bodies being offloaded from a chopper at the Eldoret Airstrip./MATHEWS NDANYI

The death toll from the mudslide tragedy on Saturday in Elgeyo Marakwet has risen to 26 after four more bodies were retrieved from the area.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed that the death toll from the Marakwet East landslide disaster has reached 26 after more bodies were recovered today.

The four additional bodies have already been airlifted to the Eldoret Airstrip and taken to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret.

The number of those injured has also risen as KDF personnel airlifted more victims for treatment at various hospitals.

This comes as Cabinet secretaries Kipchumba Murkomen and his Public Service counterpart Geoffrey Ruku toured the region and assured residents of government support.

Earlier, the government had confirmed that 22 people had died following a mudslide in Marakwet East Constituency, Elgeyo Marakwet County, as rescue and recovery efforts continue.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, November 1, 2025, after heavy rains triggered flooding in the region.

In a joint press briefing on Sunday, Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura indicated that 22 bodies had so far been retrieved and evacuated to Eldoret.

He said 16 of the victims are currently at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), while others are admitted to various hospitals.

The spokesman said 29 people remain missing and expressed the government’s condolences to families that have lost loved ones.

“It is with a heavy heart that we address you today, as the onset of the short rains has brought devastating floods. The government shares in your grief and stands with you during this painful time,” he said.

Rescue operations are ongoing, led by multi-agency teams drawn from several government departments and humanitarian partners.

The teams include officers from the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes, county governments, the military, the National Police Service, the National Youth Service, the National Disaster Operations Centre, Kenya Red Cross Society, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, among others.

Mwaura said a total of 21 survivors, including 14 adults and seven children, are currently receiving treatment at MTRH.

According to him, two more patients have been airlifted to the facility, bringing the total number of the injured to more than 20.

The military has deployed four helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft for search and rescue efforts, alongside medical personnel and disaster response specialists.

The Kenya Red Cross Society has deployed drones and GIS mapping technology to support tracing and site assessment.

The rescue operation is expected to continue for several days.