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Two men received 35-year prison sentences for the brutal murder of Kenyan-born Ugandan athlete Benjamin Kiplagat, with the Eldoret High Court citing overwhelming evidence and a lack of remorse.
Taking a serious note of the murder of Kenyan-born Ugandan steeplechase athlete Benjamin Kiplagat, the Eldoret High Court has sentenced two men to 35 years in prison.
Justice Reuben Nyakundi, presiding over the court, ruled that Peter Ushuru and bodaboda rider David Ekai had been proven guilty by scientific and circumstantial evidence.
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Their crime, committed on the night of December 31, 2023, involved the violent stabbing of the international athlete near his residence in Eldoret.
“Your actions were cruel to a defenseless person whose life you cut short, contrary to God’s plan where God intended man to live for a minimum of 70 years," Justice Nyakundi stated in his ruling as per Nation.
The judge noted that the two accused individuals showed no genuine remorse, despite overwhelming evidence presented by the prosecution, which included CCTV footage capturing the fatal attack.
The footage depicted the men chasing Kiplagat and subsequently stabbing him in the chest, leaving him no chance to survive.
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According to the evidence, the two men pursued Kiplagat from Eldoret town to his Kimumu estate, where he was ambushed.
“The kind of remorsefulness you have expressed in this court cannot add up,” Justice Nyakundi stated.
“You had an intention to take the life of the young athlete. Remorse without seeking true reconciliation is not remorse after reducing the number of years that a person was to live as was planned by God.”
Kiplagat, a celebrated steeplechase runner and silver medalist at the 2008 World Junior Championships, was returning home on New Year’s Eve when he encountered his killers.
The prosecution argued that the attack was not a robbery as his mobile phone and cash were left untouched.
Kiplagat's grieving family hailed the sentence as a step toward justice, although they had initially sought a life sentence.
“We are happy justice has been served even though we had requested the court to sentence the accused to life imprisonment. As a family, we are satisfied since we have been served justice within the shortest time," said his brother Vincent Chemweno.
State Counsel Mark Mogun had previously requested that the court allow Kiplagat's family members to express their preferred sentence, which they did during an emotionally charged session.
His mother, Ms. Elizabeth Chemweno, wept openly in court describing her son’s dedication and struggle to become a successful athlete despite humble beginnings.
She recalled how Kiplagat trained barefoot due to financial hardships, eventually becoming the family's primary provider.
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Ms. Chemweno further detailed how, according to the CCTV footage, the attackers showed no mercy, delivering the fatal stab to her son after overpowering him.
“My son had Sh8,000 and an expensive mobile phone, but the killers did not take any of the property from him. Their mission was to painfully finish him,” she told the court.
She implored Justice Nyakundi to impose a life sentence on the convicted men.
Despite the family’s plea, Justice Nyakundi explained that while the sentence aims to deliver justice, it cannot replace the lost life.
“No amount of jail term can bring back the life of your beloved. I pray that you will be reconciled by God to come to terms with what has happened,” he told the family.
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Justice served for Ugandan athlete Benjamin Kiplagat as Eldoret court delivers verdict in shocking murder case
Two men have been found guilty by the Eldoret High Court for the murder of Ugandan steeplechase athlete Benjamin Kiplagat, with CCTV and forensic evidence linking them to the crime.
For the two convicted men, their legal representatives sought a more lenient sentence, arguing that they were remorseful.
But Justice Nyakundi dismissed their plea for leniency labeling their remorse as "cosmetic."
He emphasized the heinous nature of their actions and reminded them of their right to appeal if dissatisfied with the sentence.
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