Asbel Kiprop recalls night out with mchele babe

Former 1500m world champion Asbel Kiprop during the interview in Eldoret. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

For years, Asbel Kiprop was one of Kenya’s most recognisable middle-distance stars, a gifted runner whose brilliance on the track was matched by his appetite for the excitement of life away from it.

The three-time world 1500m champion was a familiar face in entertainment spots in Eldoret and beyond, where he celebrated his victories with friends, fans and fellow revellers.

On nights when training the following morning was not an immediate concern, the former Olympic champion could dance into the small hours, enjoying music, company and the social life that came with sporting fame.

But on a recent night out, on Friday, September 4, the pleasures of nightlife turned into an unsettling ordeal for the celebrated athlete, who is also a Chief Inspector of Police.

Kiprop says he was allegedly drugged by a woman he had met at a club along Kisumu Road in Eldoret before the pair left together in the early hours of Saturday.

He later woke up alone, confused and feeling weak, discovering that more than Sh43,000 had disappeared.

The incident has offered the outspoken athlete an uncomfortable reminder that danger can sometimes hide behind charm, beauty and seemingly harmless companionship.

Fateful encounter

Kiprop says he had gone to a popular club on Friday, September 4, to watch football and have a few drinks. At some point, he noticed an elegantly dressed woman sitting alone with her drink.

Already inebriated, he summoned the courage to approach her. The two began talking, laughing and drinking together, and what started as a casual encounter gradually developed into a closer relationship.

“The friendship slowly turned into romance,” Kiprop said, recalling the events in an interview with The Nairobian.

According to the athlete, they eventually decided to leave the club at about 3am. Hungry but unwilling to end the night, they picked up some snacks before heading to a nearby guest house.

Kiprop says that after they booked a room, he suddenly began feeling unusually weak.

“Before we even settled down, I felt general body weakness and I could barely stand,” he said.

The sudden change in his condition made him suspicious. He says he could not remember what happened after that until he regained consciousness later on Saturday.

What followed was more disturbing.

Kiprop says he woke up alone and confused after sleeping for several hours.

“I don’t remember what happened afterwards. I only recall waking up at around 4pm, alone and confused.

“What shocked me is that no one came to my room to wake me up as I continued sleeping the whole day. Even the hotel room attendants never woke me up. I realised that the woman spiked my drink.”

He checked his phone and discovered that money had been taken from his mobile money wallet. He also realised that cash he had been carrying was missing.

According to his account, Sh8,000 in cash had allegedly been taken from his pocket, while another Sh35,000 was allegedly withdrawn from his M-Pesa wallet.

The former champion says the realisation left him shocked because he had previously heard stories of men being drugged and robbed after meeting strangers in entertainment establishments, but had never imagined becoming a victim himself.

“I know many people cannot say what I’m telling you about the incident,” he said, explaining why he chose to make the experience public.

Although the story could subject him to ridicule and mockery, Kiprop says he shared it so that other men can learn from his experience and avoid approaching strangers, particularly women, in clubs.

Kiprop says the woman was wearing a yellow sweater and green trousers and stood out because of her striking appearance. He recalls being attracted to her partly because she appeared confident, smartly dressed and comfortable on her own.

He now believes that attraction clouded his judgement.

Police probe

His ordeal did not end with the loss of money. Feeling sick, vomiting and weak, Kiprop sought medical attention at Elgon View Hospital, where he was treated and discharged. He later reported the matter at Langas Police Station.

The case was subsequently taken up by detectives as investigations began to establish what happened during the night.

Uasin Gishu County police officials confirmed that a report had been made. Sub-County Police Commander Sephania Kamuren said Kiprop’s statement indicated that he had been at the club before leaving with the woman, popularly known in Kenya as ‘mchele babes’ for a nearby guest house.

Kamuren said the athlete reported becoming incapacitated after the drinking session and suspected that an unknown substance had been used to spike his drink.

The commander praised Kiprop for speaking publicly about the experience, saying his willingness to share the embarrassing incident could help warn others. “I want to thank the officer known as Asbel Kiprop for highlighting this incident. It’s not easy for a person of that calibre to come out and reveal such a shameful incident in public,” Kamuren said.

He urged members of the public, particularly young people, to exercise caution when drinking with strangers and to remain alert in entertainment venues.

Officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations were said to have taken over the inquiry, while the officer commanding Langas Police Station, Hillary Ngetich, was involved in the initial response.

Kiprop had already taken his frustrations to social media before speaking to the media and reporting the incident to police.

In a Facebook post, he described the experience as a dangerous lesson after years of travelling and enjoying nightlife in different parts of the world. He praised Eldoret’s vibrant entertainment scene, but warned about the danger posed by drink spiking.

“Beauty of our night clubs are unmatched.. I have travelled around the globe, Eldoret has a vibe as I may say in about two decades of my experience.. But last Friday I experienced what I only hear as per say.. sleeping spike drug.. worse experience to never experience. Yes. I slept until 3pm the following day. This is a charm that needs to be gotten rid of. Dangerous!” Kiprop posted on Facebook.

His post attracted mixed reactions. Some followers praised him for being honest enough to acknowledge his vulnerability, while others criticised him for allowing a stranger to join him while he was already intoxicated.

For Kiprop, however, the criticism is secondary to the lesson he believes can be drawn from the experience.

“I have offered myself to tell my story to create awareness, to let these young generations learn from me and avoid such unfortunate incidents in future,” he said.

Public warning

His decision to speak out has also reopened conversations about the risks faced by people who drink heavily in entertainment venues. Drink spiking, theft and opportunistic robbery have long featured in warnings issued to nightlife patrons, although individual cases require investigation before responsibility can be established.

The incident has also placed a spotlight on the curious duality of Kiprop’s life: a decorated athlete who once ruled the world’s 1500m races and a senior police officer expected to understand the risks surrounding public safety.

Kiprop’s love of nightlife is hardly a secret. During his peak years, he was frequently seen in entertainment spots, where his fame made him easily recognisable. He enjoyed the company of friends, both men and women, and was known to interact freely with fans.

On some occasions, he says, he preferred drinking alone.

That openness, however, became a vulnerability on the night he met the woman who would later become the focus of a police investigation.

The episode comes against the backdrop of Kiprop’s extraordinary athletics career.

He won Olympic gold in the 1500m at the 2008 Beijing Games after the eventual winner, Rashid Ramzi, was disqualified, and went on to become a three-time world champion in the event. His career placed him among Kenya’s most accomplished middle-distance runners.

Yet his sporting journey has also been marked by controversy and setbacks.

In 2018, allegations emerged from one of his former pacemakers concerning an alleged relationship involving Kiprop and the man’s wife. Kiprop dismissed the allegations.

His personal life later entered another chapter when he held an engagement ceremony attended by celebrated Kenyan athletes in Simat, Uasin Gishu, on April 30, 2021.

Among those present were former marathon world record holder Dennis Kimetto, multiple world champion Vivian Cheruiyot, former world cross-country champion Augustine Choge, Geoffrey Mutai and 1500m star Nixon Chepseba.

Kiprop, dressed in a sharp blue suit, made his commitment to his fiancée, Faith, before his parents, David Kebenei and Julia.

Hard lessons

His athletics career had also entered a difficult phase. He had been out of competition for several years since 2018 and was struggling to make a return. He had not announced his retirement while continuing his career in the National Police Service.

The latest incident, therefore, adds another unusual chapter to the life of an athlete whose public story has moved between triumph, controversy, personal milestones and reinvention.

Kiprop says he could have kept the incident private and avoided the ridicule that might follow such a story. Instead, he has chosen to expose his vulnerability, hoping other men will learn from his mistake.

For him, the central message is simple: excitement should never come at the expense of caution.

The warning has found support among some Eldoret nightlife regulars. Sammy Koech, a local nightlife enthusiast, said Kiprop’s decision to discuss the alleged theft should encourage other victims to speak out.

Men warned

“Many men have suffered in the hands of beautiful women who spike their drinks and go ahead to steal valuables and money from them. It is time we as men speak out,” Koech said.

The circumstances surrounding the alleged spiking remain subject to investigation, and the identity and whereabouts of the woman had not been established.

Kiprop’s story is ultimately less about a night of drinking than the uncomfortable consequences of letting familiarity develop too quickly with a stranger.

The decorated runner may have spent years outrunning rivals on the track, but on this night, he says, he was caught off guard by a different kind of opponent, one who did not need speed, stamina or tactics, only an opportunity.

Now, with investigations underway, the former champion is left with a financial loss, unanswered questions and a cautionary tale he hopes will outlive the embarrassment.

For a man accustomed to standing on podiums before cheering crowds, this is a very different kind of public moment. Yet by telling his story, Kiprop hopes the humiliation will serve a purpose: to remind revellers that behind the music, laughter and glamour of nightlife, vigilance remains the best protection.