This archive report was first published on 25 November 2019.
On November 24, 2019, a catastrophic landslide struck Nyarkulian and Parua villages in West Pokot County, leaving at least 41 people dead and dozens more missing.
West Pokot County Commissioner Apollo Okello confirmed that 30 bodies had been recovered, while 11 others were still buried in the mud. However, Monica Kalinyongar, assistant director of emergency and disaster response in West Pokot County Government, stated that 53 bodies had been recovered by the evening of November 24, with 29 still missing.
Residents of Nyarkulian and Parua were picking up the pieces after the devastating landslides, which were triggered by heavy rainfall. The landslides swept away at least 49 houses, leaving many residents without shelter.
Chemurto Yobokabel, a resident of Lulwei village, lost seven members of his family in the landslide. He was away at a nearby trading centre when the disaster struck, but his wife was lucky to be alive as she had gone to a neighbour's house after the intensity of the rains increased.
According to eyewitnesses, the rains started as a drizzle at 7pm, but the intensity increased at 9pm, and by midnight, rainwater started running down the villages. The flash floods swept through homesteads before triggering the landslides at 2:30am.
Joseph Kemboi, a neighbour of Yobokabel, recounted the horror of the night, saying that four of his relatives met their deaths as they attempted to rescue three children trapped in one of two huts in Yobokabel's compound.
As the villagers struggled to come to terms with the tragedy, West Pokot County Director in Charge of Disaster Response Joseph Kamasharipu warned that more landslides could occur in the mountainous area. He stated that nearly 50 houses were either buried or swept away, and eight people were injured in the village and were admitted to different hospitals.
An evacuation camp has been set up at Lulwei Primary School, where children, their mothers, and the elderly have been gathered, braving the rains and cold weather. Kochemurkomen Losiakim, an 80-year-old woman, said, "My house was swept away. Two cows and household items were buried in the house. I have nowhere to turn to. The camp is too cold for me."
