By Abdullahi Lukman
At least 21 people have died following a landslide in western Kenya after heavy rainfall last weekend, government confirmed.
Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said the bodies were moved to a nearby airstrip, while over 30 people remain missing and 25 injured victims have been airlifted for medical treatment.
The Kenyan Red Cross reported that many affected areas in Marakwet East are still inaccessible due to mudslides and flash floods.
Search and rescue operations were paused on Saturday evening but are scheduled to resume on Sunday.
Murkomen added that preparations are underway to deliver food and relief items to survivors, with military and police helicopters on standby.
Residents near seasonal rivers and previous landslide sites have been urged to relocate to safer areas.
Kenya is currently experiencing its second rainy season, which brings a few weeks of wet weather following an earlier, heavier rainy period.
In neighboring Uganda, flash floods and landslides have also claimed lives.
The Uganda Red Cross reported that a mudslide in Kapsomo village destroyed a house, killing four people.
Continuous heavy rains have caused the River Astiri and River Sipi to overflow, damaging homes, crops, and community infrastructure, particularly in riverbank villages in Bulambuli District.