A French tourist has died following a paragliding accident near Iten town along the scenic Elgeiyo Marakwet escarpments, officials confirmed on Thursday. The victim, 49-year-old Maud Frédérique Binaud, arrived in Kenya on January 17, 2026 and was scheduled to leave at the end of the month.
Binaud and her husband, Pierre Louis Henri Laurens, had been paragliding toward the Nyaru area in Keiyo South when communication between the two was lost during their return flight.
According to a police report, the late Ms Binaud took off from Iten town and flew her paraglider to Nyaru in Keiyo South on Tuesday, landing safely.
“She went off radar while flying back to the launch pad at Kilima Resort. The deceased was paragliding alongside her spouse, Pierre Laurens, who was flying a separate paraglider at the time of the accident,” the police report read in part.
Attempts to reach her by radio and mobile phone were unsuccessful. Laurens was later informed that his wife had been involved in an accident and was being rushed to Iten County Referral Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. Her body is currently being held at the hospital’s mortuary.
The Kerio Escarpment is a popular paragliding destination that attracts both local enthusiasts and international tourists for aerial sports and adventure tourism. While the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation, authorities confirmed that communication was lost mid-flight, prompting immediate search and rescue efforts.
It remains unclear whether equipment failure, weather conditions, or other factors contributed to the incident. The Kerio Valley has a history of fatal paragliding accidents, including a 2018 incident in which two foreign visitors died after their paragliders collapsed along the escarpment, leading to safety reviews in the area.
Elgeyo Marakwet’s rugged terrain and breathtaking scenery have made it an emerging hub for adventure tourism, particularly paragliding, which complements the region’s reputation as a world-class athletics training destination. However, the recent tragedy has renewed concerns over safety protocols and oversight in extreme sports activities.
The recent tragedy has cast a spotlight on the safety measures governing extreme sports in the area.
Tourism stakeholders have long called for stronger risk management protocols and clearer regulations to protect both visitors and operators, citing the inherent dangers of the region’s rugged terrain and unpredictable weather.
Authorities say investigations into the accident are ongoing, focusing on equipment, weather conditions, and other potential contributing factors. Meanwhile, the repatriation of the deceased is underway, in coordination with French diplomatic officials, as the community grapples with the incident.
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