Kapchebogel landslide sweeps away homes, lives and dreams

Zakayo Ruto stares blankly at the sloping five-acre piece of land he once called home. It is now covered in soil, with no evidence that any structures were ever erected.

Three months ago, in Kapchebogel village, Baringo North sub-county, residents were shocked when a landslide occurred, sweeping away five houses.

For 45 years, Ruto had lived in the village where his parents are buried. With heavy rains experienced in the area, the events of August 6 remain a haunting calamity that forced 27 households to seek refuge on safer ground.

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“This still feels unreal to us. One minute you have a family and a home, and the next, everything vanishes. Now I’m staying in a rented house, yet I once had my own home, farm, and livestock,” he says.

He is deep in thought, trying to fathom the ordeal that befell the place he once called home, a place full of childhood memories that now haunt him as the tragedy claimed four members of his family.

Burdened by the agony of renting and the pain of losing loved ones, Ruto and his fellow villagers allege that they have faced numerous obstacles in the months since promises were made by the government and politicians.

“On August 6, I went to tend to my goats. Suddenly, a raging storm began and wouldn’t stop, forcing me to seek shelter in Kabartonjo. When I returned the next day, I was shocked to find my family missing,” he narrates.

He learned through social media about the calamity that had struck his home, taking the lives of three family members, with the status of his other son initially unknown.

The bodies of his wife, son, and nephew were retrieved from the mud the following morning, while the body of his other son was found two days later.

The devastated father later found his 13-year-old daughter alive. She recounted how she survived the storm that killed her brothers and mother.

During the funeral ceremony, promises were made to the victims, but Ruto says that nothing has been delivered.

During the interview, around 4 pm, The Standard witnessed a mass exodus of locals heading to Kasisit Trading Centre after the area was declared dangerous.

Residents routinely visit their homes to tend to livestock or gather food but return to their rented accommodations by evening.

Unfortunately for Ruto, his four-roomed house, granary, and his parents’ house were all swept away. Now, he depends on the goodwill of others to survive.

“We were promised by the government that we would be compensated and relocated to different land, as the Kenya Forest Service claims ownership of the affected land. However, nothing has happened so far,” he says.

Monica Litei, who lives on the edge of the Kasisit escarpment and is Ruto’s neighbour, recalls the fateful day.

“At around 7 pm, the storm began with thunder and lightning. By 8 pm, I heard an earthquake and a loud sound. Thirty minutes later, Ruto’s daughter knocked on my door, saying she had been swept by water. She was injured. I put her to bed, then went to search for her parents,” Litei narrates.

She also managed to rescue her neighbour and her two children, who were trapped in the landslide.

Harun Chepkong’a, 69, said he learned of the floods through Litei.

“My grandparents lived here; this has been our home. We hope the government will compensate us. Nothing has been done since the burial,” he says.