Ugandan athlete Benjamin Kiplagat found dead with stab wounds in Kenya

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Kenyan-born Ugandan athlete Benjamin Kiplagat was discovered dead in western Kenya on Sunday, according to police.

Local police chief Stephen Okal said that the body of Kiplagat, a prominent figure in the field of athletics, was found inside his brother's car with stab wounds in the city of Eldoret renowned for producing a significant number of Kenya's top athletes.

"We are still investigating the incident to ascertain what happened but what we can confirm is that the man found dead is an international athlete called Benjamin Kiplagat," Okal told reporters at the scene, noting that the athlete was on his way home at the time of the incident.

Kiplagat, who clinched the silver medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2008 World Junior Championships, has represented Uganda internationally in the same category.

His career spans a multitude of events, spanning from Porto Novo, Benin and Beijing, China to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Doha, Qatar.

The killing closely mirrors the tragic death of Agnes Tirop in 2021, when the Kenyan Olympic star was fatally stabbed in her residence in Elgeyo-Marakwet County.