KEY POINTS
- Rotich failed to appear in court for his trial.
- Tirop was a record-breaking athlete before her tragic death.
- Kenya has witnessed multiple female athletes killed since 2021.
According to his attorney, who spoke to AFP on Friday, the husband of Kenyan distance athlete Agnes Tirop, who was charged with her murder in 2021 and was out on bail, has vanished.
Rotich disappears before scheduled court appearance
The 45-year-old Ibrahim Rotich was supposed to appear in court on Thursday in Eldoret, western Kenya, but his attorney, Ngigi Mbugua, informed the sitting judge that Rotich was not reachable by phone or whereabouts.
In an event that stunned the sports community, Tirop, one of Kenya’s most promising track stars, was fatally murdered in October 2021 at the age of 25.
Days after setting the world record for women’s 10-kilometer running in Germany, she passed away. She won the world cross-country title in 2015, finished fourth in the 5,000 meters at the Tokyo Olympics, and won two bronze medals in the 10,000 meters.
According to The South African, Tirop’s body was discovered at her residence in Iten, a popular athlete training ground in western Kenya; Rotich has denied killing her.
Kenya sees rising cases of athlete killings
In recent years, there have been multiple violent fatalities of well-known athletes in Kenya.
The third female athlete killed in Kenya since 2021 was Rebecca Cheptegei, a long-distance runner from Uganda, who was killed by her lover last year.
According to Rotich’s attorney, his family is worried about his disappearance.
Mbugua told AFP, “Winrose, Roch’s sister, stated they have not been able to track him and are concerned about his safety.”
Rotich was detained for two years before being freed on bail in November 2023. Eldoret is the principal town of Uasin Gishu County, and he was prohibited from leaving the county as part of his bail terms.
