A court sitting in Eldoret has today sentenced two convicts for the murder of Kenyan athlete Benjamin Kiplagat in Kimumu Estate, Eldoret Uasin Gishu County.
The Eldoret high court judge Justice Reuben Nyakundi sentenced Peter Ushuru aged 30 years and motorcycle rider David Ekai aged 25 years for 35 years each for the gruesome murder of steeplechase runner Kiplagat on the December 31st 2023.
Nyakundi said that the duo planned and excuted the murder of the athlete in cold blood.
They family of the deceased had demanded that the accused be sentenced to death or life imprisonment but Justice Nyakundi said no amount of sentence would bring back the life of the deceased.
“I just hope that the family will find solace in the decision of the court and take courage to move on,” said Nyakundi.
He said although the accused were first offenders, they still deserved a harsh sentence for the offence.
Earlier, the mother of the athlete had caused a commotion at the court as she asked the judge to pass the death sentence against his killers.
70-year-old Elizabeth Chemweno cried out in court and wondered why the two convicts were still alive.
“Judge you mean this person are still alive and they killed my son. You mean they are here and I am suffering because of what they did to my son”, said Elizabeth
Ushuru and Ekai had denied the offence and claimed to have been framed by the prosecution but Justice Nyakundi termed their evidence as “mere stories” to try and free themselves.
Nyakundi while finding the two guilty said the athlete had died because of the actions of the two and that the prosecution had proved that they were at the scene of the crime with the motorcycle they used during the incident.
They asked the government to help protect athletes whose lives were threatened by ill-motive people