Kiplagat killers jailed

The conviction has been welcomed by the National Prosecuting Authority, which described the matter as a severe violation of trust and a grave crime against a vulnerable child.

NAIROBI. — A Kenyan court sentenced two men to 35 years in prison for the murder of Ugandan Olympic athlete Benjamin Kiplagat.

The High Court in Eldoret found Peter Ushuru Khalumi, 30, and David Ekai Lokere, 25, guilty of fatally stabbing the 34-year-old steeplechaser last year after a nine-month trial.

Judge Reuben Nyakundi cited compelling CCTV evidence showing the defendants “intentionally killed” Kiplagat, noting their lack of remorse for this “premeditated crime.”

He emphasised the cruelty of their actions towards a vulnerable individual, highlighting that Kiplagat’s life, which could have spanned at least 70 years, was abruptly cut short. Each defendant received a 35-year sentence.

Kiplagat’s family, including his mother Elizabeth Chemweno and two brothers, sought life sentences for Khalumi and Lokere but were denied.

The two men were apprehended a day after Kiplagat’s body was discovered in his vehicle on New Year’s Eve. – Agencies