West Pokot Mudslide Death Toll Hit 6 As 4 People Are Yet To Be Found

The death toll of West Pokot’s Chesegon mudslide rose to six yesterday after the body of a male police officer and a woman were recovered leaving now the number of an accounted persons at four.

The tragedy that befell Chesegon in West Pokot county occurred on Saturday the 18^th of April 2020 after heavy rains poured and resulted in the mudslide claiming both human lives and livestock.

The Chesegon mudslide destroyed a school and police post in the area with facilities disappearing into the ground not to be traced ever again.

Witnesses say the floods got many families in their houses as they rushed to take refuge from the stormy rain that “was out of the ordinary.”

Photos of West Pokot mudslide shared across various social media platforms were heartbreakingly showing a dire situation that needs decisive action to save lives.

On Sunday, the 19^th of April 2020, four bodies were recovered and were awaiting to be identified with the Chesegon administrator saying those missing could also be among those not identified.

The Kenya Red Cross and the Kenya Defence Forces were in Chesegon assisting the residents to recover some of the things that were half-buried by the mudslide.

A command center was set up on Sunday at the Chesegon area where the authorities are coordinating with the residents to help on the recovery.

West Pokot is known to have casualties whenever heavy rains hit some of the lowland areas with another tragedy has taken place last year leading to the death of more than 50 people.

West Pokot residents are now being urged by Governor Lonyangapuo to move to higher grounds to avoid a repetition of the mudslide tragedy.

“Those are your homes but we need you to be flexible and those living on the escarpment to move,” Governor Lonyangapuo told the West Pokot residents following the Chesegon mudslide.

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