The death toll from the recent landslides that struck the mountainous border region of Kenya and Uganda has surpassed 40, officials have confirmed.
“I lost a grandmother, a maternal aunt, an uncle, two sisters, a family friend and a cousin. They were staying together in Kaptul village,” shared Felix Kemboi with the BBC, speaking from the Kenyan side of the border.
The 30-year-old Mr. Kemboi struggled to articulate the full extent of his grief in the wake of the disaster.
Search and rescue operations are underway on both sides of the border for numerous missing individuals, amid warnings of potential further landslides in the region.
Kenyan Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen issued a statement, saying, “As heavy rainfall continues to be experienced across several parts of the country, the risk of landslides, especially along the Kerio Valley region, is heightened.”
Minister Murkomen urged residents in affected areas to remain vigilant for any earth movements and noted that local authorities are relocating those at risk to higher ground.
The Kenyan Ministry of Education reported that fourteen schoolchildren were among the casualties in the Great Rift Valley area, where two mudslides occurred.
Survivors in eastern Uganda have recounted harrowing experiences to the BBC.
Helda Narunga Masai, a resident of Kween village whose home was destroyed, shared, “We were sleeping at night, we [heard] a huge sound. The neighbours came running. ‘You wake up’. The mountain is coming. My niece and brother died.” She is currently staying with a neighbor.
Approximately 14km away in Kapchorwa, three children and a woman from the same family also lost their lives.
The Uganda Red Cross reports at least 18 fatalities in eastern Uganda, with their staff and community volunteers actively searching for 20 individuals still missing across the districts of Kapchorwa, Bukwo, and Kween.
Mande David Kapcheronge, a local leader, informed the BBC that rescue teams are employing rudimentary tools to excavate the mud in search of survivors.
Experts have previously cautioned against constructing homes in certain vulnerable areas of Uganda and Kenya, where landslides pose a known and persistent threat.
In 2010, a significant landslide in the Ugandan town of Bududa resulted in approximately 300 deaths, marking it as one of the nation’s most devastating natural disasters.
In response to the latest disaster, the Ugandan government is providing bereaved families with 5 million shillings ($1,300; £1,000) and allocating 1 million shillings to each survivor.
The Kenyan government has yet to announce any compensation measures for survivors or bereaved families.
Ongoing search missions in Uganda are facing challenges due to mudslides that have rendered some roads impassable.
Additional reporting by Natasha Booty
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