Sports

‘The police neglected sign of violence,’ father of murdered Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei opens up

Published

2 months ago

September 9, 2024

The bereaved father of Ugandan Olympian, Rebecca Cheptegei, who died after her estranged boyfriend set her on fire, has blamed police in the Trans Nzoia County of Kenya for ignoring earlier signs of domestic violence against his daughter and not arresting the situation early enough before his daughter was killed.

Joseph Cheptegei who spoke on the death of his daughter in a cruel fashion, said the police failed to deal with issue early enough even after being aware of the situation.

Joseph said the horrific incident was a culmination of a dispute that had been there for many months with the athlete nearly killed by the ex-boyfriend before she escaped early this year.

“In February, they had a dispute and this guy wanted to hack my daughter and she had to run away. We reported the matter to the police,” the father told NTV.

“It reached a point she realised this guy was just taking money from her and she didn’t see the benefit of the relationship. So, she decided to do her things privately because the guy wanted to be in charge of everything, which she declined.

“When the issue went to police, the guy wanted to take her property by force. He got married to someone else and even brought her here.

“If the government had responded well, she would not have died because the signs were there for long,” he said.

Cheptegei, who represented Uganda in marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympics, was born on the Kenyan side of the Kenya-Uganda border but decided to cross over to the neigbouring country to realise her athletics dream due to the stiff competition in Kenya.

She joined the Uganda’s People Defence Forces in 2008 and rose through the rank to sergeant as she represented Uganda in various competitions.

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Sports

Kenyan court jails killers of Ugandan Olympian Kiplagat for 35 years

Published

6 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.