The landslide that occurred at Ngutu village in Mathioya last week, killing one and displacing several households/ ALICE WAITHERAThe government has pledged full support to families displaced by landslides in Mathioya constituency, Murang’a county, as heavy rains continue to wreak havoc across the region.
Mathioya MP Edwin Mugo said affected families will have their houses rebuilt and livestock replaced after a series of landslides left dozens homeless and claimed one life in Ngutu village last Thursday.
Speaking at Gitugi grounds on Saturday during the disbursement of Sh70 million bursaries to learners in the constituency, Mugo said residents living in dangerous zones had already been moved to safer areas as the government intensified emergency response measures.
The MP said he was coordinating with relevant state agencies, including the Ministry of Interior, to ensure victims receive urgent assistance, adding that President William Ruto had already been briefed on the situation.
“So far, we have lost almost 15 houses that have been completely destroyed, including livestock. Unfortunately, we have also lost one life,” Mugo said.
“I can assure the people of Mathioya who have been affected by landslides that we are going to rebuild their houses and replace the livestock they have lost, but for now let them stay away from dangerous areas and move to higher grounds.”
The latest tragedy struck Ngutu village on Thursday night after hours of heavy rainfall triggered a landslide that split a house into two, killing 45-year-old Godfrey Gichuki.
Several families were displaced after huge cracks developed across farms and homesteads, raising fears of further earth movement in the area.
Mugo said camps had already been prepared to shelter displaced residents as authorities monitor the continuing rains that have caused destruction in several parts of the county.
Murang’a county commissioner Hassan Bule, who had earlier led a team of government officials to the landslide site, warned that about 100 households in the area remained at risk following the emergence of huge cracks across several villages.
Mathioya MP Edwin Mugo with Gitugi Girls Secondary School students during the issuance of bursaries on May 9, 2026 /ALICE WAITHERA
He said Murang’a had recently experienced multiple disasters in Kandara, Kangema and Kahuro sub-counties, displacing dozens of families and exposing residents to further danger as rains persist.
He recalled that six members of a family died in a similar tragedy in neighboring Kiganjo village in 2024 after their home was swept away at night.
The developments came as the National Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC) warned that the country could experience more disasters linked to heavy rainfall in the coming weeks.
NDOC Director David Samoei, who visited Ngutu village to assess the damage caused by the landslide, said at least 140 people had died nationwide since the onset of the long rains in March due to floods, landslides and other rain-related disasters.
Samoei said the government was on high alert as more rains were expected beyond the normal season, urging Kenyans living in vulnerable areas to relocate to safer grounds.
At the same event, the MP announced the disbursement of Sh70 million bursaries that will benefit about 10,000 learners across Mathioya.
Day secondary school students will each receive Sh6,000 while boarding school students, university students, tertiary institution learners, KMTC and teachers college students will each get Sh9,000. Learners with special needs will receive Sh10,000 each.
Mugo said the bursary programme was aimed at ensuring no child drops out of school due to lack of fees amid the tough economic times facing many families.
Gitugi Girls Secondary School principal Eunice Wamaru said the bursaries had helped schools retain students and improve learning conditions.
She said timely fee support had enabled schools to maintain students in class, improve infrastructure development and provide meals for learners.
“The bursaries have helped us maintain students in school and also helped the school to grow because once the school has enough resources, we are able to develop infrastructure and feed the students,” she said.
Gitugi Mixed Secondary School principal Joseph Maina said the programme had made education affordable for many families in Mathioya, especially in day schools where retention rates had improved significantly.
He noted that the bursaries had also helped curb cases of early marriages and teenage pregnancies by ensuring vulnerable learners remain in school.
