Two men have been sentenced to 35 years each for the murder of Ugandan Olympic athlete Benjamin Kiplagat, a Kenyan court ruled on Tuesday. The High Court in Eldoret found Peter Ushuru Khalumi and David Ekai Lokere guilty of stabbing the 34-year-old steeplechaser to death last year, based on extensive CCTV footage presented during a nine-month trial.
Justice Reuben Nyakundi condemned the defendants’ actions as a premeditated crime against a defenceless individual, adding that the men showed no remorse. Although Kiplagat’s family called for life sentences, the court handed each man a 35-year term.
Kiplagat, who represented Uganda internationally in the 3,000m steeplechase and competed at the Olympics and World Championships, had a career that spanned almost two decades.
He won medals at the World Junior Championships and African Championships and held Uganda’s national steeplechase record. His tragic death has shaken Kenya, a nation celebrated for its elite runners.
