Kenyan athlete Hosea Mwok: Tributes flow for fallen star

FILE: Hosea Muok Macharinyang 2007 [photo courtesy]

Kenyan athlete Hosea Mwok Macharinyang who died two days ago has been remembered as a hardworking athlete who represented the country in five world cross-country championships.

Macharinyang was found dead at his home in Murkwijit, West Pokot County on Saturday evening. He died aged 35.

He won three consecutive team titles for the country out of his appearances at the World Cross Country Championships between 2004 to 2008.

Yesterday, Athletics Kenya officials from the North Rift region said Macharinyang, who has been missing in action since 2012 died barely a year after starting training.

He has been described as a quiet and a hardworking athlete who set up a thriving hardware shop and a productive livestock farm in Murkwijit near Kapenguria town through his earnings from athletics.

North Rift AK regional chairman Jackson Pkemoi said he received the news of Macharinyang’s death with shock.

“He had started training again in preparation for competition. He was preparing for a major comeback. As AK officials, we celebrate his achievements,” Pkemoi, who is also West Pokot’s AK executive committee member, said.

Pkemoi said Macharinyang had returned to his West Pokot home from Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County where he had been training before dying a few days later.

He said his wife has been helping him in running the hardware shop and the farm while he was training.

“He had lost concentration on the sport for sometime and we were beginning to celebrate him again. To us in West Pokot, he is a hero,” Pkemoi said.