Multiple landslides in the mountainous border region of Kenya and Uganda have resulted in over 40 confirmed deaths. Search and rescue operations are ongoing for people still reported missing on both sides of the border. Authorities have issued warnings for potential further landslides due to continued heavy rainfall.
Casualties and Impact
Over 40 individuals are confirmed to have died following landslides last week. On the Ugandan side, Felix Kemboi reported losing six relatives in Kaptul village. In Kenya, the education ministry confirmed that 14 schoolchildren were among the casualties when two mudslides affected the Great Rift Valley area.
In eastern Uganda, 18 deaths have been reported across Kapchorwa, Bukwo, and Kween districts, with 20 people still unaccounted for. Helda Narunga Masai from Kween village reported her home was destroyed and stated her niece and brother died. In Kapchorwa, three children and one woman from the same household were killed. Homes in affected areas were flattened.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Search and rescue teams have been deployed in both countries. In Uganda, Red Cross staff and community volunteers are involved in the search. Mande David Kapcheronge, a local leader, stated that rescue teams are utilizing rudimentary tools. Search missions in Uganda have been impeded by road access being cut off by the mudslides.
Government Response and Warnings
Kenyan Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen has warned of an increased risk of landslides in the Kerio Valley region due as heavy rainfall continues. He has urged residents in affected areas to monitor earth movements and confirmed that local authorities are relocating at-risk individuals to higher ground.
The Ugandan government has announced compensation for those affected, providing 5 million shillings ($1,300; £1,000) to bereaved families and 1 million shillings to each survivor. The Kenyan government has not yet announced compensation measures.
Experts have advised against building homes in some of the affected regions in both Uganda and Kenya, citing a known history of landslides in these areas.
Historical Context
In 2010, a landslide in Bududa, Uganda, resulted in approximately 300 fatalities.