Elgeyo Marakwet: 31 People Killed in Mudslides Buried in One Grave

Chesongoch prepares for mass burial of 31 landslide victims as families grapple with loss of homes and land to bury their loved ones
The community chose a large cemetery near the Catholic Church of Saint Benedict Christ the King to honor their loved ones together
Aid teams continue search and rescue operations as displaced families face hunger and trauma

Elgeyo Marakwet: Chesongoch is preparing for one of its most painful moments as families prepare for a mass funeral for the 31 people killed in the October 31 landslide.

Some of the victims of the Chesongoch mudslide were buried on Wednesday. Photo: Kipchumba Murkomen.
Source: Facebook

With homes swept away and entire parcels of land buried under rocks and mud, many families have nowhere to lay their loved ones.

What would have been a private, individual funeral has become a collective funeral, giving the community a chance to honor the victims.

Where will the victims of mudslides in Chesongoch be buried?

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The service will be held on Friday, November 21 at the Catholic Church of St. Benedict Christ the King in the sub-county of Kerio Valley.

A funeral mass will be held on the Thursday before the funeral, and a monument will later be erected at the site as a permanent memorial.

Each family will still be allowed to perform individual rites at the cemetery after the funeral mass.

According to Daily Nationonly four victims will be buried in private land in Endo and Lower Sambirir, while the others will be buried near the church after the families agreed that a central location was the only suitable option.

The chief disaster management officer of the county Lawrence Mutwol said the government will cover the funeral expenses and confirmed that the bodies found later will also be buried in the cemetery to keep all the families together in mourning.

The decision has reduced the pressure on many families who lost relatives and land.

“We hope that we will build a tomb or a monument to show that this disaster was caused by climate change,” Mutwol said.

A section has also been set aside for the burial of 9 victims whose whereabouts are still unknown.

The residents of Chesongoch are in dire need of humanitarian aid

The head of the Kenya Red Cross, North Rift, Oscar Okumu, expressed concern about malnutrition among children, pregnant mothers and the elderly, as well as limited medical supplies.

The organization works with local millers to produce special grains to address nutritional gaps.

Religious organizations offering counseling support to those affected by the disaster asked the government and other good Samaritans to continue sending massive aid to the victims even after the funerals.

“After Friday, people will leave. That’s when the truth starts to emerge. So my rallying call is to maintain the gift of presence,” said Reagan Akaliche, pastor at Parklands Baptist Church.

Governor Wisley Rotich earlier said the money raised during a recent fundraising event in Nairobi, along with government support, will help the families rebuild.