At the foot of the Elgeyo Marakwet escarpment, rows of homes now lie buried beneath mud. When heavy rains pounded the Chesongoch and Moror area last weekend, torrents of earth and debris came crashing down the slopes, sweeping away houses, crops and livestock. At least thirty people have been confirmed dead, many remain missing and over a thousand homes have been destroyed. Survivors say the disaster struck without warning. “We always get warnings after the rains have already begun. By the time information reaches us, it’s too late to move,” said one resident, whose loved one is still missing. This tragedy is not the first to devastate Elgeyo Marakwet. In November and December 2019, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet and surrounding areas were affected with floods and mudslides due to heavy rains. Lives were lost, property destroyed, and an estimate of over 100 families were displaced from their homes. Experts have long cautioned that the steep escarpment, part of Kenya’s Rift Val...
Beyond the Game