Nairobi (KE):- The Police in Kenya said Monday they had arrested two people believed to have been involved in the murder of Kenyan-born Ugandan Athlete, Benjamin Kiplagat.
Kiplagat, 34, was on Sunday morning found stabbed to death inside his car in Texas, Kimumu estate in the outskirts of Eldoret town.
While confirming the arrest, Moiben Sub-county Police Commander Stephen Okal, said one of the suspects was apprehended within Uasin Gishu while the other was arrested in the Neighbouring Trans Nzoia County.
“The two suspects are known criminals who have been terrorising the members of the public,” Okal said.
“We are in the advanced stage of the investigations and we will possibly be sending them to court tomorrow,” he added.
Police said they relied on CCTV footage obtained from the scene of crime and other technical clues to pursue and arrest the suspects.
While the motive of the killing was still unknown, police said investigations had shown that Kiplagat had been “waylaid” by the two men before he hit their motorcycle with his car.
“This probably provoked them into that violent act,” Okal explained, referring to the stabbing.
One of the suspects had been arrested with a knife believed to have been used in the killing, he added.
Eldoret is known for being home to numerous athletes who undergo training in the high-altitude region.
Kiplagat, whose career spanned about 18 years, won the silver medal in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2008 World Junior Championships and bronze at the Africa Championships in 2012.
He made the semi-finals of the event in the 2012 Olympics in London and also competed in Rio in 2016.
His death follows the killing in October 2021 of Kenyan distance running star Agnes Tirop who was found stabbed to death at the age of 25 in her home at Iten, a training hub near Eldoret.
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