(MENAFN) More than 40 people have died after multiple landslides struck the mountainous border regions of Kenya and Uganda last week, with dozens more still missing. The disaster has caused widespread devastation, destroying homes and leaving families grieving.

“I lost a grandmother, a maternal aunt, an uncle, two sisters, a family friend and a cousin. They were staying together in Kaptul village,” said 30-year-old Felix Kemboi from the Kenyan side.

Survivors continue to recount traumatic experiences as search and rescue teams work to locate missing people amid warnings of further landslides.

Kenya’s Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen urged residents to move to higher ground and remain vigilant. The education ministry confirmed that 14 schoolchildren were among those killed in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley region.

In Uganda, survivors described terrifying nights as mudslides destroyed homes. Helda Narunga Masai lost her niece and brother when a mudslide struck Kween village. The Uganda Red Cross reports at least 18 deaths in the east, with 20 people still unaccounted for across Kapchorwa, Bukwo, and Kween districts. Rescue operations are being conducted using basic tools due to difficult terrain and blocked roads.

Experts warned against building in landslide-prone areas, recalling the 2010 Bududa disaster in Uganda, which killed about 300 people. The Ugandan government has announced compensation of 5 million shillings ($1,300; £1,000) for bereaved families and 1 million shillings for survivors, while Kenya has not yet announced any compensation measures.

Authorities in both countries continue to search for survivors and warn that heavy rainfall may trigger additional landslides in the region.

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