2 men arrested in connection with Ugandan Olympic runner’s killing in Kenya, police say

Benjamin Kiplagat is the fourth athlete to be killed in the area in recent years

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Two men were arrested in connection with the killing of Ugandan Olympic runner Benjamin Kiplagat, who was found fatally stabbed in a car in Kenya on New Year’s Eve, police said Monday.

A knife suspected of being used in the killing of the 34-year-old Kiplagat was found on one of the suspects, Moiben sub county police commander Stephen Okal said. The motive for the killing appears to have been robbery, he said, because money and a cell phone had been taken from Kiplagat.

Kiplagat’s throat was cut, police said. He was found dead in his brother’s car early Sunday on the outskirts of Eldoret, a high-altitude town in western Kenya renowned as a training base for elite athletes.

Kiplagat competed in three Olympic games and six world championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. He won a bronze medal at the 2012 African championships.

Kiplagat is the fourth athlete to be killed in the area in recent years.

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