Surveyors attribute landslides to deforestation and poor land use

Locals mill around the scene of a devastating landslide that killed residents of Kibendo village in Elgeyo Marakwet County on Nov 2, 2025. [Stephen Rutto, Standard]

The Institution of Surveyors of Kenya (ISK) has said that deforestation, unsustainable land use, and poor settlement planning have increased the frequency and severity of landslides in Kenya.

According to ISK, the continued deforestation had weakened soil structures, destabilised slopes, and compromised the natural drainage systems that prevent such disasters.