Kenya Red Cross, Gov't authorities lead rescue efforts following Elgeyo Marakwet landslide

The government has mounted a full-scale rescue and relief operation after a deadly landslide struck Elgeyo Marakwet County on Friday night, leaving lives lost, homes destroyed and several people unaccounted for.

The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) said its emergency teams have been activated and are on the ground supporting search-and-rescue work, triage and relief distribution in the worst-hit villages of the Kerio Valley.

In a statement, the society confirmed its teams were assessing damage and assisting displaced families.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said national response units--including the Kenya Defence Forces and police--have been deployed to the county.

"Helicopters have been used to ferry medical teams, rescue personnel and supplies into areas cut off by washed-away roads and fallen debris," he said in a post.

Mr Murkomen urged calm while warning that numbers of fatalities may still rise as access improves.

County officials say at least 10 people have been confirmed dead, with dozens still reported missing.

Governor Wisley Rotich said the county has opened a command centre to coordinate operations, set up temporary shelters and prioritise the immediate needs of displaced households.

“We are working with national agencies and humanitarian partners to provide food, medical care and safe shelter for those affected,” he said, urging residents in landslide-prone zones to relocate to safer ground.

The national government is dispatching emergency relief parcels--rice, corn-soya blend, cooking oil and household items--to more than 400 displaced families, the Government Spokesperson Dr Isaac Mwaura said.

Teams are also establishing reception points where survivors are being registered and referred for medical checks.

County health facilities are treating the injured, though several clinics are operating under strained conditions because of damaged access routes.

On the ground, communities describe scenes of devastation: houses shredded by torrents of mud, roads and bridges swept away, and rivers swollen with runoff.

Rescuers are working in difficult terrain--unstable slopes, continuing showers and blocked roads--forcing much of the initial response to rely on air lifts and specialised recovery units.

The Kenya Meteorological Department had issued advisories for heavy rains in parts of the Rift Valley in the days before the disaster.

Relief agencies and county officials are calling for urgent support: more search-and-rescue equipment, water, medical supplies.

They also need blankets and tarpaulins, plus logistical help to reach cut-off settlements.

Authorities are also stressing the need for longer-term action--robust early-warning systems, slope rehabilitation and planned resettlement--to reduce future risk.

As rescue teams continue their work through Saturday, families are waiting for news of loved ones, and local leaders are appealing for calm and cooperation.

Officials say they will publish verified casualty and damage figures as soon as teams are able to complete assessments in the hardest hit areas.