Sports

Ugandan Steeplechase champion Benjamin Kiplagat murdered in Kenya

Published

10 months ago

January 1, 2024

Ugandan Steeplechase champion, Benjamin Kiplagat, has been murdered in Kenya where he was undergoing training.

Kiplagat, 34, who represented Uganda at three Olympic Games, was found in a car with stab wounds on several parts of his body, with the Kenyan police saying they had launched an investigation into his death.

“He was found in a car with stab wounds to his chest and neck, near the Kenyan town of Eldoret, a top training centre for athletes,” a local media wrote.

President of the Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF), Dominic Otuchet, who confirmed Kiplagat’s death in a statement on Monday, said the star athlete was attacked at 9 pm by unknown people after withdrawing money from the bank.

“Kiplagat was heading to his brother’s home in Iten, Eldoret city when unknown assailants ambushed him while in his car, stabbed him in the chest, and stole an unspecified amount of money. His body was found lying on the driver’s seat,” Otuchet said.

Kiplagat started his athletics career by competing in the 10,000 meters during the 2004 World Junior Championships. He then made his international debut at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships, having qualified by finishing 6th in the Ugandan Junior Cross Country Championships.

At the World Junior Championships, he set a new national record of 8:35.77, which he then lowered to 8:34.14 in the final, and finished 6th.

In 2008, he finished 4th in the World Cross Country Championships and in the same year, lowered the Uganda record to 8:16.06 and then 8:14.29 before finishing second in the World Junior Championships.

In the 2009 season, he further lowered the Ugandan national record to 8:12.98, repeating the feat in 2010, again lowering the Ugandan record to 8:03.81, and finished fourth at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

At the 2012 London Olympics, Kiplagat reached the semi-finals in the 3,000m steeplechase.

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Sports

Kenyan court jails killers of Ugandan Olympian Kiplagat for 35 years

Published

10 hours ago

November 5, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A Kenyan court sitting in Nairobi on Tuesday sentenced two men, Peter Ushuru Khalumi, 30, and David Ekai Lokere, 25, to 35 years in prison each for the murder of Ugandan Olympic athlete, Benjamin Kiplagat, who was stabbed to death last year.

Khalumi and Lokere were both found guilty by Justice Reuben Nyakundi of the Kenyan High Court in the northwestern city of Eldoret for stabbing the 34-year-old steeplechaser to death.

In his ruling, Nyakundi said overwhelming evidence from CCTV cameras showed the pair intentionally killed the athlete, adding that they had not shown any remorse for the pre-meditated crime and deserved a harsh sentence.

“Your actions were cruel to a defenceless person whose life you cut short contrary to God’s plan, where God intended man to live for a minimum of 70 years,” Nyakundi said while announcing the 35-year sentence for each defendant.

The judge however, rejected a plea from Kiplagat’s mother, Elizabeth Chemweno, and his two brothers who wanted Khalumi and Lokere to be given life sentences.

The two convicts were arrested a day after the athlete’s body was found in his car on the outskirts of Eldoret on New Year’s Eve with a deep wound to his neck in a murder that shocked the country and Africa in general.

Kiplagat who was born in the Eldoret region in Kenya, had an illustrious career spanning almost two decades, and had represented Uganda internationally in the 3,000m steeplechase, including at several Olympic Games and World Championships.

He won the silver medal in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2008 World Junior Championships and bronze at the African Championships in 2012 and made the semi-finals of the event at the 2012 Olympics in London and also competed in Rio in 2016.

Sports

Chepkirui leads Kenya to podium sweep at New York City Marathon

Published

1 day ago

November 4, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Kenya had a clean sweep of the podium at the 2024 New York City Marathon on Sunday as Sheila Chepkirui clinched victory in the race, clocking 2:24:35, with the defending champion, Hellen Obiri, securing second place, while Vivian Cheruiyot finished third.

In just her fourth marathon, Chepkirui ran a ferocious last half mile to win the race ahead of Obiri, the 2024 Olympic bronze medalist.

Chepkirui, 33, came into the race with the fastest personal best in the field, 2:17:29, which she ran at the 2022 Valencia Marathon though this is her her first win at a world marathon major.

Speaking in the post-race press conference the race, she said:

“Winning means a lot to me. It means my training has been going well, and I’m really happy for the win.

“The last turn was really tough. I was still with Hellen. I told myself I had to push up at the finish line.

“In the last mile, it was really hard. I pushed myself. I’m so happy. I pushed myself to the limit.”

This Kenyan dominance underscores the nation’s strength in long-distance running, particularly in major marathon events.

The 2024 New York City Marathon featured a competitive field, but the Kenyan athletes’ performances stood out, reaffirming their status as leading figures in women’s marathon running.