Ugandan Olympian’s murderers sentenced to 35 years in Kenya

In Kenya, a court has imposed 35-year sentences on two individuals for the murder of Ugandan athlete Benjamin Kiplagat late last year. The Olympic steeplechase runner was stabbed to death on New Year’s Eve in Eldoret, a town recognized as a premier training hub for athletes. During the sentencing hearing at the High Court in Eldoret, Justice Reuben Nyakundi addressed Peter Ushuru Khalumi and David Ekai Lokere, stating, “Your actions were cruel to a defenceless person whose life you cut short.” The killing of Kiplagat caused widespread shock in Kenya, a nation that has experienced the deaths of several other elite athletes in recent years. The judge indicated that Khalumi and Lokere had pursued Kiplagat, who was inside his vehicle, and subsequent CCTV footage revealed their deliberate and premeditated act of killing him. While the precise motive for the murder remained unclear, police had suggested robbery at the time of their arrests. On Monday, the athlete’s mother made an emotional plea to the court, requesting Justice Nyakundi to impose life sentences. The Nation newspaper reported that she spoke of her son’s journey, beginning his running career barefoot, and his dedication to becoming an international runner and the primary financial provider for his family. “My son had 8,000 [Kenyan] shillings ($62; £48) and an expensive mobile phone, but the killers did not take any of the property from him. Their mission was to painfully finish him,” the newspaper quoted her. Although the court did not grant the family’s request for life sentences, they expressed satisfaction with the verdict, stating that justice had been delivered. Kiplagat, aged 34 at the time of his death, had qualified for the final of the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also participated in the subsequent two Olympic Games and holds the Ugandan national record for the event.