Kimende Landslide: Man Emotionally Says Stepping Back To Pick Call Saved His Life On Fateful Night

• A Kimende man has narrated how he narrowly survived after a landslide covered his friends as he witnessed it happen
• The man said he was in the company of five other friends and were all walking home when he took a step back to receive a call
• One of the friends also stayed back to wait for him, but as soon as he started talking on the phone, the landslide came down and buried his friends, sparing his life

A Kiambu man has narrated how he narrowly escaped tragedy and death on the night of Wednesday, May 15, when a landslide happened as he was on his way home.

The landslide, which occurred a few minutes past 8pm, covered an unknown number of people, and a few bodies have since been recovered since the retrieval efforts began on Thursday.

Speaking to Gikeno TV, a man who is still reeling from the shock of witnessing the tragedy unfold narrated how a step back to pick up a call ended up saving his life and that of his friend.

He said he and his other five friends were walking home when he heard his phone ring. He stopped to pick up the call, but a few seconds later, a huge mudslide came down and buried his friends as he watched.

Man narrates surviving the Kimende landslide

This all unravelled in a split second, and the man who had stopped to pick up the call with his friend ran in the opposite direction to save their lives.

"We were in the company of those who were victims. We were just from Kimende. They were four (the victims), with my friend here being the fifth and I the sixth. At that moment, I received a call that made me take a step back as my friends continued walking. This man here also stayed behind to wait for me.

"I remember it was really dark, but I used my phone's flashlight, and as I spoke, the landslide happened just a few meters from where I was taking my call. We saw them being tossed by the huge slide, and for us, we ran in the opposite direction to save our lives," he narrated.

The man emotionally thanked God, saying it was all a miracle that he stepped back

"It was God who saved me," he said while struggling to hold his tears.

Kimende family looking for brother covered by landslide

TUKO.co.ke also reported about a family in Kimende, Kiambu county, that is desperately looking for their dear brother, Peter, who was buried in a landslide that affected their area.

The Kenya Red Cross confirmed the incident, saying it had sent its rescue team because it feared several people were trapped.

According to Peter's sister, Veronica Wambui, they had been hopeful that they would find him alive from 8 pm until very late.