The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Eldoret, Kenya | THE INDEPENDENT | Two people have been arrested in connection to the murder of Kenyan-born Ugandan long-distance runner, Benjamin Kiplagat.
Kiplagat was discovered dead with a knife wound to his neck inside his brother’s vehicle on New Year’s Eve in Eldoret, Kenya.
Moiben Sub-County Police Commander Stephen Okal revealed that the preliminary investigations indicate that the motive behind the attack appears to be robbery. He said that Kiplagat’s cell phone and money were stolen.
Okal said that the two suspects, who include a boda boda rider and another unidentified person have been arrested and will appear in court. He added that the knife believed to be the murder weapon was recovered from one of the suspects.
According to Okal, both suspects are well-known criminals who have been attacking members of the public. “We are in the advanced stage of the investigations and we will possibly be sending them to court tomorrow,” he stated.
A leaked CCTV footage shows the athlete speeding in a black Toyota Hilux along Kimumu Junction in Eldoret at approximately 1:15 am, attempting to evade pursuers.
Navigating a corner at high speed, Kiplagat lost control, crashed into a ditch, and within minutes, two individuals rushed to the scene and stabbed him before fleeing.
Kiplagat began his career by competing in the 10,000 meters during the 2004 World Junior Championships. He made his international debut at the 2006 World Cross Country Championships, having qualified by finishing 6th in the Ugandan Junior Cross Country Championships.
At the World Junior Championships, he set a new national record of 8:35.77, which he then lowered to 8:34.14 in the final, and finished 6th.
In 2008, he finished 4th in the World Cross Country Championships. In the same year, he lowered the Uganda record to 8:16.06 and then 8:14.29 before finishing second in the World Junior Championships.
In the 2009 season, despite being disrupted by sickness, he managed to further lower the Ugandan national record to 8:12.98.
In 2010, he again lowered the Ugandan record to 8:03.81. He finished 4th at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
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