Ugandan Athlete, Benjamin Kiplagat - Courtesy

A Kenyan court has sentenced two men to 35 years for the murder of Ugandan Olympian Benjamin Kiplagat, this is according to BBC Sport.

A court in Kenya has sentenced two men, Peter Ushuru Khalumi and David Ekai Lokere to 35 years each for the murder of Ugandan athlete Benjamin Kiplagat.

The Olympic steeplechaser was killed on New Year’s Eve last year in Eldoret, a prominent training hub for athletes.

Kiplagat’s murder deeply shocked the Kenyan community, already reeling from recent violence against elite athletes.

According to BBC Justice Reuben Nyakundi condemned the defendants’ actions as “cruel to a defenceless person whose life you cut short.”

CCTV footage presented in court showed that Khalumi and Lokere followed Kiplagat in his car and killed him in what the judge ruled was a premeditated act.

Though police initially suggested robbery as a motive, Kiplagat’s mother noted in an emotional appeal that none of her son’s belongings were taken, implying the killer’s intent was to end his life.

On Monday, November 4, 2024, Kiplagat’s mother had appealed for life sentences, recalling how her son rose from humble beginnings as a barefoot runner to become an international competitor and the family’s primary provider.

Although the court did not grant life sentences, the family expressed satisfaction with the verdict, feeling justice had been served.

Kiplagat, 34 at the time of his death, reached the final of the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, competing in two more Games and setting Uganda’s record in the event.

Kiplagat competed at the 2016 Rio Olympics, as well as in London and Beijing.

Several Olympic athletes have tragically lost their lives in Kenya, to incidents.

Less than a month after competing in the Paris Olympic Games, marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei has been tragically killed in Kenya.