Tragedy struck Kibendo village in Keiyo North on Sunday night, November 2, after a deadly mudslide swept through homes.
Among those affected is Benson Chemweno, who lost his wife and grandchild in the incident that occurred following hours of heavy rainfall.
According to Chemweno, the mudslide struck suddenly, destroying his home and leaving his family devastated.
"This tragedy began around 8 p.m. We didn’t see it coming; we just suddenly realized the house had collapsed along with the store.
"I had stepped out of the main house to the kitchen to have supper, and as I was returning to the main house, stones hit the bedroom. I ran outside and saw that both the house and the store had been destroyed," he said.
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Chemweno, who is now mourning the loss of two loved ones, said he has been left with nothing and appealed to the government for assistance.
"I have lost my wife and my grandchild; the others are in the hospital. Right now, I have nothing left at home; the sheep are gone, and the cow that was hit by stones is almost dying. I’m asking the government to help me in any way possible," he added.
Meanwhile, earlier Sunday, the government pledged to cover hospital and funeral expenses for the victims of the landslide that struck Marakwet East.
In a statement on Sunday, November 2, he announced that the government would take full responsibility for the victims’ medical care and burial costs.
Murkomen added that the government will assist families in the affected villages to rebuild.
"The Government will foot hospital bills and funeral costs, and support the people to rebuild their lives," he said.
Murkomen further said the death toll had risen to 26, with several residents still missing as emergency teams continued their search.
"Search and rescue efforts are ongoing, with the death toll now standing at 26 following the recovery of more bodies today. 25 people are still unaccounted for, while 26 are hospitalised," he added.
Murkomen noted that Endo Ward was the hardest hit, losing the majority of its residents in the tragedy.
"Endo Ward bore the brunt of the tragedy, with 19 of the dead hailing from the place. Embobut/Embolot Ward lost 5 people, while Sambirir Ward lost 2,” he stated.
Murkomen outlined a coordinated response involving several ministries to restore essential infrastructure and services in the affected zones.
"My colleagues, the CS for Roads and Transport, Davis Chirchir, is fast-tracking the release of emergency funds to restore roads damaged in the landslide, while his Energy counterpart, Opiyo Wandayi, will deploy a team to restore electricity," he explained.
Murkomen added that both the military and police helicopters will remain in the area to assist with logistics and emergency evacuations.
He also revealed that education officials had made alternative plans to ensure national examinations proceed smoothly despite the devastation.
"The military and police helicopters will remain in the area to handle any emergency. About 15 schools are inaccessible and KNEC has made arrangements to airlift examination papers to the affected institutions," he said.
Murkomen also extended gratitude to President William Ruto for providing the necessary resources and support to enable a swift and effective response to the crisis.
"We thank H.E. President Dr. William Samoei Ruto most sincerely for placing at our disposal all the support we needed. The resources were critical in saving lives and alleviating the suffering of those affected by the unfortunate incident," he concluded.
