As heavy rains continue to pound the country, several families in Murang’a County are living in fear following a spate of landslides that have wreaked havoc across the area.
Over the weekend, a family in Kagina Village, Kibutha area of Kangema Constituency, was forced to spend nights in the cold after their home was buried by a landslide.
The residents of the village are now appealing to the government and well-wishers to help them address the latest humanitarian crisis that has added to the earlier incidences of landslides in the region.
''Our house has been completely submerged by mud. Everything that we owned has been submerged, and now we have no one to turn to. Our plea is for the government to intervene and help us," one of the affected family members narrated.
The incident left the affected area completely submerged, with massive rifts tearing through the land. Residents who joined in the rescue efforts described the landslides as shocking, noting that they had never witnessed such large depressions before.
''When we woke up and heard that this had occurred, upon rushing here, we were shocked to find that the land had completely sunk. This is utterly shocking,'' a resident narrated.
Murang'a County is highly susceptible to landslides due to its mountainous terrain, which features steep valleys and numerous hills, creating a dissected landscape.
The ruggedness and steepness of the terrain, coupled with factors like heavy rainfall, contribute to the instability of the soil and increased likelihood of landslides.
Six people, including three minors, perished on April 29, last year, while asleep after their homes were flattened by a landslide in Kiganjo, Murang’a County.
The deceased included a man and his wife, a mother and her three children who were sleeping in different houses. The rescue exercise was hindered by the heavy downpour that was experienced in the area.
During the midnight incident, the landslide hit three homes after families had retired to bed, destroying about three acres of land.
The deluge also consumed dairy cows and chickens as it destroyed other properties, especially coffee, houses, and trees.
