Police said on Wednesday that Tirop appeared to have been
stabbed in the neck with a knife. The 25-year-old represented
Kenya in the 5,000 metres at the Tokyo Olympics this year and
finished fourth in the final. Police said they had arrested
Ibrahim Rotich in the coastal city of Mombasa, hours after
pleading with him to surrender.
"The suspect has been arrested today evening and is in custody
at Changamwe police station in Coast Region," Tom Makori, sub
county police commander for Keiyo North, told Reuters by
telephone. "I can confirm now we have main suspect in our
custody."
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said on Twitter that
Rotich was arrested after ramming his car into a lorry, saying
he was trying to flee the country.
"The suspect is currently being grilled by detectives at
Changamwe police station, for more details into the murder,
before being arraigned to answer to murder charges," the
directorate said.
Last month, Tirop smashed the women-only 10km world record in
Germany, crossing the line in 30:01 to shave 28 seconds from the
previous record set by Morocco's Asmae Leghzaoui in 2002.
In early October, Tirop, finished second in the Giants Geneva
10K race.
She claimed bronze medals at the 2017 and 2019 World
Championships in the 10,000m, and won the 2015 World Cross
Country Championships.
"Athletics has lost one of its brightest young stars in the most
tragic circumstances," World Athletics President Sebastian Coe
said in a statement late on Wednesday. Kenyan President Uhuru
Kenyatta asked for a quick investigation into Tirop's death.
"I’m deeply shocked by the tragic death of Agnes Tirop, a young
and bright talent. Her performances at the Olympic Games Tokyo
2020 gave hope and inspiration to so many people," International
Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said in comments posted
on the Olympics Twitter account.
Television footage obtained by Reuters showed Tirop's distraught
friends and relatives leaving her residence, while police
officers used a cordon to keep away others who had come to
inquire what had happened.
"The girl was so jovial, in fact we travelled with her to
Nairobi the day that we were returning back home from Tokyo,"
Athletics Kenya representative Milka Chemwos said.
"Even on Monday at 4 p.m. I talked to her through the phone and
we were to meet in town. So it (Tirop's death) has happened, it
is unfortunate."
(Reporting by Humphrey Malalo; additional reporting by Jackson
Njehia and George Obulutsa; Writing by George Obulutsa, Editing
by Giles Elgood and Ed Osmond)
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