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Sh50,000 for each family that lost a loved one in Elgeyo Marakwet landslides

By Amina Wako April 27th, 2020 1 min read

Families that lost a loved one during the landslides and flash floods at the border of Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot Counties will each receive Sh50,000 from the government.

The government has set aside Sh1.7 million to be shared among the 35 households.

According to Rift Valley, Regional Commissioner George Natembeya, part of the amount will help offset burial expenses.

The national government has also promised to cater for DNA tests to help identify the bodies of the victims and locate them for their kin.

Natembeya, however, said 16 people were still unaccounted for a week after the incident displaced more than 4,000 people.

The search for the remaining bodies was called off due to heavy rains in the region.

Senate Majority Leader and Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen faulted the decision to call off.

The government has since urged Kenyans living in flood-prone areas to move to higher grounds to avert similar tragedies.