Benjamin Kiplagat Murder: Two Men Sentenced to 35 Years

Benjamin Kiplagat a Ugandan Olympic steeplechaser was murdered on New Year’s Eve in Eldoret, Kenya. A Kenyan court sentenced two men, Peter Ushuru Khalumi and David Ekai Lokere to 35 years each for the crime. Eldoret renowned for its world-class training facilities felt the shock of Kiplagat’s death which added to a disturbing trend of attacks on elite athletes in the area.

Justice Reuben Nyakundi, presiding over the sentencing in Eldoret’s High Court condemned the murder as a “cruel” and premeditated attack on a “defenseless person.” Prosecutors showed that Khalumi and Lokere followed Kiplagat in his car before they launched the fatal assault. CCTV footage provided clear evidence of the crime’s planned nature. Initially, police believed the motive was robbery.

However, Khalumi and Lokere left Kiplagat’s belongings including 8,000 Kenyan shillings and an expensive phone untouched raising doubts about their true intent. In an emotional plea, Kiplagat’s mother asked the court to impose life sentences, describing her son’s journey from running barefoot to becoming an international athlete and family breadwinner.

She spoke about her heartbreak, emphasizing the senselessness of the killing which left the family devastated. While the court did not impose life sentences, Kiplagat’s family expressed satisfaction with the 35-year terms, feeling that the court had served justice.

Benjamin Kiplagat, who was 34 when he died had reached the 3,000m steeplechase final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and represented Uganda in two subsequent Games. He held Uganda’s national record in the event marking a distinguished career tragically cut short.