National Police Service ready to arrest rivals eyeing their national crown

Richard Mateelong is now an OCS at Subukia Police Station. [Courtesy]

National Police Service has warned rivals that they are not ready to give up their crown yet ahead of the national cross country championships in Kisii on February 20.

In the last few years, Police have stood out as the goose that lays the golden egg and are promising to do more in the coming years.

Police athletics chairman Kiprono Bunei said the men in blue will seek to recruit more talent to stay ahead of their main rivals, Kenya Defence Forces and Kenya Prisons Services.

“We will remain at top of the game when it comes to athletes; most top former and current runners belong to police and we will continue injecting new blood by recruiting the best talents every time an opportunity arises.

“Some of the talent has risen through the highest ranks within our forces to the position of Commissioner of Police,” said Bunei, who took over police athletics chairmanship from Joseph Kiget, who retired last year.

Police were set to hold their cross country championships tomorrow at Ngong Racecourse but has since been postponed to January 29.

Vivian Cheruiyot wins women's 10km during the Kenya Police Service Cross Country Championships for the fourth consecutive year at Ngong Race in Nairobi on January 16, 2016. [PHOTO: Dennis Okeyo, Standard]

The meeting was postponed to allow the policemen and women sit promotion examinations slated for today and tomorrow.

“We ran out of time because most of our officers are sitting examinations on Thursday (today) and Friday and thought it was appropriate for us to push the championships to January 29 at the same venue,” Bunei said.

Some of the police top guns who have risen in ranks to Commissioner of Police include William Yiampoy (800), Marius Tum (400m), Tabitha Ranga (1500m) and Karisa Mwaringa (100m).

Others who hold senior ranks of chief Inspector are: world 800m record holder David Rudisha, 2010 Africa 3000 steeplechase champion Richard Mateelong, 2013 world 3000m steeplechase champion Milcah Chemos, four-time world 3000m steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi, Olympic 10,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot, former world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop and Rere Sang.

Some of the top names expected to line up at the Police cross country meet are Geoffrey Kamworor, Josephat Boit, Hosea Kimosop, Emmanuel Bett and Philomon ‘Baby Police’ Rono in the men category. 

The women team will have world steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech, world 5000m silver medalist Margaret Chelimo, 2020 police champion Sheila Chelangat and former champion Stacy Ndiwa among others.

The Athletics Kenya cross country meet started in Machakos in December, then Nandi and Ol Kalau.