Former Boston Marathon champion Sharon Cherop has vowed to appeal an Eldoret High Court ruling that awarded her estranged husband, Mathew Bowen, a 40 per cent share of their contested matrimonial properties.
The former World Marathon Championships bronze medallist expressed dissatisfaction with the judgment delivered by Justice Reuben Nyakundi, arguing that she acquired the multimillion-shilling properties through earnings from 27 years of competing internationally.
Cherop said she would move to the Court of Appeal to challenge the decision, insisting that she should retain 100 per cent ownership of the properties.
Cherop and Bowen have been embroiled in a protracted legal battle over the division of their matrimonial assets following their separation and subsequent divorce proceedings.
The court ruled that their matrimonial home in Kipkorgot, Eldoret, should be shared equally, a decision that Cherop strongly opposed, particularly because she currently lives there with their children.
“It is shocking that the court ruled that the matrimonial home that I live in with the children in Kipkorgot, which is under my name and two of the children, should be shared on a 50:50 basis,” said Cherop.
In his judgment, Justice Nyakundi rejected the notion that matrimonial property should automatically be divided equally, emphasising that each spouse’s financial and non-financial contributions must be assessed.
“The Plaintiff’s financial contribution was the greater, and materially so; but the Defendant’s contribution, monetary and non-monetary, was real and sustained over many years,” Nyakundi said.
Cherop and Bowen married in January 2008 and had four children before their marriage was dissolved in 2023.
During the court proceedings, Cherop told the court that Bowen’s name was included in the Kimumu property “out of love and affection”, while his inclusion in the Kaptagat property was intended “to soothe his ego as the then head of the family”.
The court heard that Cherop competed at the highest level of international athletics, including the World Marathon Majors, while Bowen, who had retired from active competition, allegedly served as her manager and pacesetter.
However, Cherop dismissed the assertions, accusing the court of relying on claims she disputed about her former husband’s involvement in her athletics career.
“My coach was Joseph Cheromei and Nicola Gabriella of Italy and not my ex-husband. I had a pacesetter called Elias Toroitich. At no point did my ex-husband pace for me as indicated in the judgment,” Cherop said in Eldoret.
She also questioned why the court awarded Bowen a share of the contested properties despite, according to her, finding that he had failed to prove the source of his financial contribution.
Bowen had sought a 75 per cent share of the matrimonial properties, arguing that Cherop’s contribution was significantly lower.
The court, however, gave Cherop, with whom the children reside, the first opportunity to retain the matrimonial home by buying out Bowen’s 50 per cent interest.
Justice Nyakundi further directed that neither party should sell, charge, lease, transfer, waste or otherwise interfere with the other’s declared interests except in accordance with the judgment.
Meanwhile, rental income generated from the Iten/Tambach property will be accounted for and shared in the ratio of 60 per cent to Cherop and 40 per cent to Bowen.
Cherop’s planned appeal will give the Court of Appeal an opportunity to review the High Court’s determination on the division of the former couple’s matrimonial assets