A Kenyan court has sentenced two men to 35 years each for the murder of Ugandan athlete Benjamin Kiplagat, who was tragically killed on New Year’s Eve in Eldoret, a renowned training hub for athletes.
Kiplagat, a notable Olympic steeplechaser who competed in the 2016 Rio Games as well as in London and Beijing, was fatally stabbed in an incident that shocked the Kenyan sports community. During the sentencing hearing, Justice Reuben Nyakundi condemned the actions of Peter Ushuru Khalumi and David Ekai Lokere, stating, “Your actions were cruel to a defenseless person whose life you cut short.”
Evidence presented during the trial, including CCTV footage, revealed that the two men had followed Kiplagat as he drove and had deliberately attacked him in a premeditated act.
On Monday, Kiplagat’s mother emotionally urged the court to impose life sentences, recounting her son’s journey from running barefoot to becoming an international athlete and the family’s primary provider. She emphasized that the assailants left behind Kiplagat’s cash and valuable phone, indicating their intent to kill him rather than rob him.
Although the court did not grant the request for life sentences, the family expressed their satisfaction with the verdict, feeling that justice had been served.
Kiplagat, who was 34 at the time of his death, was a prominent figure in athletics, having reached the final of the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and holding the Ugandan record in the event.