West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo appealed to the national government to deploy a chopper to the region to help transport bodies after the death toll rose to 52.

“The challenge we are facing here is transportation because bridges have been cut off, we need the government to station a chopper here,” he told reporters on Monday morning.

“The number of people confirmed dead now is 52,” he said, “there are other bodies that are yet to be transported from the villages.”

Police and humanitarian groups involved in the search for bodies said the death toll could be much higher due to the number of people reported missing.

Efforts were underway Monday to help displaced families who were left homeless after their houses were buried by a landslide or swept away by floods in remote villages following heavy rainfall pounding various parts of the country.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi was expected to visit the area to assess the damage and coordinate operations.

Affected families were camping in schools, churches and other facilities far from their villages where houses were submerged, covering even animals.

“It is a major disaster, I have lost my family and my cows,” said Joseph Edapal.

Government response teams and the Kenya Cross Society had been relocating affected families in neighbouring homes and survivors to far-flung areas to avoid a repeat of the tragedy.

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