A Region in Turmoil: Landslides and the Struggle for Survival
The Kerio Valley, once known for its struggles with banditry and cattle rustling, now faces a new crisis—massive landslides that have left the region in mourning. These disasters, exacerbated by human activities such as deforestation, cultivation, and construction along the escarpment, have brought devastation to communities that were already recovering from previous conflicts.
In Chesongoch, the impact of these landslides has been particularly severe. More than 30 lives have been lost, and 25 people are still missing. Homes and livestock have been swept away, while roads in the affected areas have been blocked or destroyed. The situation has prompted a coordinated response from police, military personnel, aid agencies, and local community members working together on search and rescue operations.
President William Ruto’s intervention, which included directing Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to oversee the operation, has helped to ease the crisis. Military helicopters have played a crucial role in evacuating the injured to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, ensuring that those in need receive timely medical attention.
This is not the first time that the region has faced such natural disasters. In 2010, Kittony village in Kaben Location experienced landslides that claimed 15 lives and caused significant property damage worth millions of shillings. Then, in 2020, landslides hit Liter and Chesegon along the borders of Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot, killing 18 people, including two police officers. During this event, buildings and facilities at Liter Girls High School, including classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and school buses, were washed away due to heavy downpours.
Geologists who later visited the area declared it unfit for human settlement and recommended that families living in landslide-prone regions, especially along the escarpments, be relocated to safer grounds. However, despite these warnings, no meaningful action was taken. People continued farming and made little effort to plant trees in the affected areas.
As the population continues to grow, the economic and societal costs of landslides will only increase unless urgent measures are implemented to address the root causes of the problem. One of the key factors contributing to the issue is the destruction of critical ecosystems, such as the Embobut Forest, a vital water tower in the Cherangany Hills.
To tackle this, the government appointed the Embobut Taskforce Committee in 2009 to address encroachment and destruction of the Embobut Forest, which had led to long-standing conflicts between communities, particularly the indigenous Sengwer. The committee recommended several actions, including the relocation of illegal squatters from gazetted forests to allow for restoration and the provision of alternative settlements for genuine squatters.
However, instead of purchasing land for the squatters, the government opted to pay Sh410,000 to each of them. Some squatters did not use this money to buy land, forcing many to continue living around forest areas and along the escarpments, where they engaged in farming activities that further contributed to deforestation and, consequently, landslides.
To prevent future calamities, the government should consider declaring the escarpments a no-man’s land, resettling residents elsewhere, and launching a serious afforestation initiative. These steps would not only help mitigate the risk of landslides but also protect the region’s fragile ecosystems.