Landslide claims 3 lives as floods destroy property

By Standard Team

While they have been praised as showers of blessing, the current rain are causing havoc countywide.

A sombre mood engulfed Kibigor village, Kapkosom location in Elgeiyo-Marakwet County after a mudslide claimed the lives of three children.

The girls, a 16-year-old and twin sisters aged 5 years were asleep in their hut when tragedy struck.

Another child, who was in the same hut, escaped with minor injuries and was rushed to Kocholwo sub-district hospital. The mother who was in a different room escaped unhurt.

Elsewhere, the body of a middle-aged man was retrieved from the banks of River Chung’uti in Thome village, Laikipia District yesterday. Area OCPD Francis Nyamatari said the man is yet to be identified as well as circumstances surrounding his suspected drowning.

Mr Ezekiel Marubuch walks away from his destroyed house after a mudslide hit Kibigor village in Elgeyo-Marakwet County killing his three girls on Thursday night. [PICTURE: KEVUIN TUNOI/STANDARD]

But he said the man is suspected to have drowned as he crossed the swollen river on Thursday night.

"We want to know for sure whether he drowned or was killed elsewhere and his body thrown into the river," he said. His body was taken to Nyahururu District Hospital mortuary.

In Nanyuki town, scores of tenants at residential houses adjacent to Nanyuki River escaped death narrowly, after the river burst its banks.

At least ten tenants were affected, eight of them from a house owned by one Veronica Muthoni.

Meanwhile, property worth millions of shillings was destroyed after raging floods submerged shops; more than 20 families were displaced by landslides in a Meru estate.

Residents of Kathera Estate near river Kathita Bridge were left homeless after a landslide hit a section of the estate. Business people at Riverside Trade Centre were counting losses amounting to millions of shillings after their business premises and vehicles were submerged in floodwaters. Close to 70 families living in Ebenezer IDP camp in Gilgil were displaced by heavy rains pounding the area.

—By James Munyeki, Job Weru, Antony Gitonga and Patrick Muriungi