Warrant of arrest: Police lie in wait to snatch senior men’s title at Uhuru Gardens on Saturday

By JONATHAN KOMEN

Silas Kimutai (right) and a fellow competitor during Athletics Kenya Nairobi branch cross country championships at Posta Grounds. [PHOTO: DENNIS OKEYO/STANDARD]

It remains to be known whether National Police Service will arrest the Prisons warders when the 19th IAAF Permit Meeting/AK National Cross Country Championships get underway at Uhuru Gardens on Saturday.

The men’s Police team will no doubt walk a tight rope in their bid to dethrone the warders who have vowed to retain the national title, and will parade a classy line-up.

Benjamin Njoga, the Kenya Prisons Service Athletics chairman, said he was confident they would stop any aggression.

“I have no doubt that we will successfully defend our men’s 12km title at the nationals. We not only want to win the nationals but also have more athletes representing the country in Kampala, Uganda,” said Njoga, the acting Senior Deputy Commissioner General Kenya Prisons.

Constable Fred Musyoki, seventh placed at the Africa cross-country championships, is the warder that the Prisons are banking on when the 12km race kicks off.

He will team up with Africa cross-country champion John Mwangangi, newcomers Franklin Ngelel, Wilfred Kimitei, Josphat Kiprop and Silas Muturi.

INTIMIDATING FIELD

The police men 12km field is intimidating as well, featuring front running experts and namesakes, 2011 World Cross junior champion, Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor and twice New York marathon winner, Geoffrey Mutai.

The two have chased each other down to the wire at the Kenya Police Cross Country Championships for two years in a row in another spice to the internal rivalry that could spill over to the National Championships.

Geoffrey, who ran a blistering 2:03.02 in Boston Marathon in 2011, has vowed to do something special while competing in the national team.

SURPRISE CHAMPION

Last year’s surprise national champion Philemon Rono is now part of the Police line-up alongside former World junior champion Josphat Bett, Barnabas Sigei and Joseph Kitur.

Police would, however, stage a spectacular race in the women’s race, basking in a rich field — and, by extension, the merger of regular police and Administration Police units into National Police Service.

Two-time world cross-country champion Emily Chebet (Administration Police), and Mercy Cherono, who is gunning for a second bite of the cherry at the continental cross-country show in Kampala next month.

Former junior national champion Janet Kisa, former World junior champion, the resurgent Irene Jelagat, Edith Chelimo and Mary Wacera complete the women senior Police corps.

They will take on Prisons’ Cynthia Chepchirchir, Nancy Nziza, former world junior 800m runner Grace Kimanzi, Peris Kipchirchir and Nancy Kimaiyo.

Kenya Defence Forces and all other AK affiliates will present teams to the contest that will be used to pick team to the third Africa Cross-Country Championships in Kampala.