Police arrest two suspects over murder of athlete

The suspects are currently being held at Ainaptich Police Station. [iStockphoto]

Police in Moiben, Uasin Gishu county have arrested key suspects in the murder of athlete Edward Kiplagat alias Benjamin in Eldoret.

Moiben sub-county police commander Stephen Okal said the two suspects were arrested in Trans Nzoia and Langas respectively, over the murder of Kiplagat whose body was found in a car on Sunday morning in Kimumu.

"We have arrested suspects who are in custody and will be arraigned in court on Tuesday. They were captured on the CCTV footage," Okal said.

A police report seen by The Standard indicates that they recovered a knife, blood-stained clothes, and motorcycle sale documents during the arrest.

Okal said the police are interrogating the two and believe more people could have been involved in the gruesome murder.

The suspects are currently being held at Ainaptich Police Station and are set to be arraigned in court on January 2.

The body of the athlete was discovered in a car in Kimumu on Sunday morning in Texas estate off the Eldoret-Iten road.

The late Kiplagat has been taking part in local and international races for over 15 years.

According to police, the slain athlete is from Marakwet, Elgeyo Marakwet County, and lived in Eldoret town.

It has emerged that the deceased participated in various events under the name Benjamin Kiplagat using Ugandan nationality.

Athletes who trained with Kiplagat described him as a polite man who loved the sport while supporting upcoming talents.

In the recent past, a number of athletes have died under unclear circumstances in the region known for producing world champions.

Agnes Tirop, a former world bronze medallist, was found dead in her house in Iten in October 2021. The case is in court.

The same year, another international athlete, Hosea Mwok Macharinyang was found dead in his home in Murkwijit, West Pokot.

In April 2022, a Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Muthee was found killed in a residential house in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County.

An Ethiopian national was linked to the athlete’s murder in what the police attributed to a love triangle.