Ugandan athlete Benjamin Kiplagat, a prominent figure in international sports, met a tragic end on Sunday night in Kimumu, Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. The 2008 World Junior 3,000m steeplechase silver medalist was found murdered along the road on his way home.
Kiplagat’s athletic journey included representing Uganda in various competitions, such as the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, where he narrowly missed the podium finishing fourth. He also participated in the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, securing the 10th position, and reached the semifinals in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, United Kingdom.
Additionally, Kiplagat earned a bronze medal at the Africa Championships in Porto Novo, Benin, in 2012. However, his subsequent appearances in the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, China, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, saw him finishing in the heats.
The tragedy unfolded when the Moiben Sub-county police received a report about an accident in Kimumu. Upon investigation, they discovered Kiplagat in his car, stabbed in the chest with a deep cut on his neck. The police suspect foul play, indicating that a motorcycle was used to block Kiplagat’s vehicle before the crime, and the assailants fled the scene.
The police, led by Sub-county commandant Stephen Okal, are actively investigating the incident to determine the circumstances surrounding Kiplagat’s untimely death. Okal confirmed the identity of the deceased as Benjamin Kiplagat, an international athlete, and provided preliminary details about the crime scene.
Kiplagat, a Marakwet East native, had been training in Eldoret before planning to compete in various events in Uganda. The shocking incident has dealt another blow to the athletics fraternity, leaving friends and the sporting community mourning the loss of a talented and accomplished athlete.
