Benjamin Kiplagat: Slain Ugandan Athlete to Be Buried in Kenyan Ancestral Home

• Benjamin Kiplagat will be laid to rest in his ancestral Kenyan home
• The Ugandan athlete was found deceased in Eldoret with injuries to his neck
• Authorities revealed that Kiplagat had been "waylaid" by the assailants

The family of the late Ugandan athlete Benjamin Kiplagat has announced that his final resting place will be in his ancestral home in Kenya on Thursday, January 11, 2024.

Discovered dead on New Year's Eve with stab wounds to his neck and chest in the outskirts of Eldoret town, Kenya, the 34-year-old Kenyan-born Olympian's demise has sparked wild claims from both Kenyans and Ugandans.

However, his brother Vincent Chemweno confirmed that he would be buried at the family farm in the village of Kamendi, over 60 kilometres (40 miles) from Eldoret.

"We are making all the necessary arrangements for the funeral where we expect a host of fellow athletes and politicians," Chemweno is quoted on TRT Afrika.

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Having represented Uganda in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Olympic Games three times and the World Championships six times, Kiplagat's burial location had been a massive point of contention.

Ugandan officials and athletes aimed to fund a funeral in Kapchorwa, on the Uganda-Kenya border, where Kiplagat owned a farm.

Following the charging of two suspects in connection with his death on January 2, 2024, the motive of the killers remains unknown.

Authorities have revealed that Kiplagat had been "waylaid" by the men before colliding with their motorcycle, as reported by France 24.

It was a tragic loss for the talented athlete, with Chemweno expressing the family's belief that Kiplagat, survived by an expectant wife and a 13-year-old daughter, was not specifically targeted but instead fell victim to thieves.

Kiplagat murder suspects

Sports Brief previously reported that two suspects in connection to Kiplagat's murder were held for 21 days to allow for investigations.

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David Ekhai Lokere and Peter Ushuru Khalumi were brought before the Eldoret Law Courts for an assorted application related to the case.

Kiplagat had been training in the Eldoret before chasing his athletic endeavours in Uganda.