Double Tragedy Strikes Kenyan Athletics: Two Stars Lost Within 24 Hours

By THE DISPATCH DIGITAL REPORTER

Kenya’s athletics community has been rocked by a double tragedy, with the devastating loss of two top athletes in less than 24 hours! Middle-distance runner Clement Kemboi was found dead on Monday, 7th October, in what’s believed to be a suicide, just hours after the nation began mourning the passing of another champion, Kipyegon Bett.

Kemboi’s body was discovered hanging from a tree near St Patrick’s High School farm in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County. Police Commander Peter Mulinge confirmed the heartbreaking news, with the body now awaiting a post-mortem at Iten County Referral Morgue.

Kemboi, who specialised in the 3000m steeplechase, was no stranger to the winner’s podium. Back in 2005, he burst onto the scene at the Africa Games as a teenage sensation. His career hit new heights in 2011 when he clinched his first international circuit win in Germany. His finest moment came in 2016, recording an impressive personal best of 8:10.65 at the Doha Diamond League.

But in a chilling twist, Kemboi’s untimely death comes mere hours after the country was left grappling with the passing of 800m star Kipyegon Bett on Sunday, 6th October. The 26-year-old, who won bronze at the 2017 World Championships in London, succumbed to an undisclosed illness while receiving treatment at Tenwek Hospital, Bomet County.

Bett had been battling illness for over a month, according to his sister, Purity Kirui. After being admitted as an outpatient at AIC Litein Hospital, his condition worsened, leading to his tragic demise.

Bett’s career was not without controversy. Once a rising star, he was hit with a doping scandal that saw him slapped with a ban in 2017. Bett accused his management of hanging him out to dry, claiming they didn’t properly handle his doping case. He denied any wrongdoing, insisting he never took banned substances.

And if these two blows weren’t enough for the Kenyan sporting world, just days earlier, another legend, retired marathoner Samson Kandie, was brutally murdered near his home in Eldoret. Kandie, 53, was tied up and attacked by assailants, who left him for dead, taking only his phone.

Three tragic losses in a matter of days have left the athletics world in shock, as the Kenyan running community comes to terms with the deaths of Kemboi, Bett, and Kandie.

It’s a dark and sorrowful time for a nation that’s produced some of the world’s most legendary athletes. What’s going on in Kenyan athletics? Will the country’s sporting authorities step up to address these tragic events, or is this just the beginning of a crisis that could shake Kenya’s sporting legacy to its core? Only time will tell…