Emotions Run High as Slain Olympic Star Agnes Tirop is Laid to Rest on Her Birthday

Emotions run high at Kapnyamisa village in Chesumei, Nandi County as slain Olympic star Agnes Tirop was laid to rest on Saturday.

Thousands of mourners arrived at Kapnyamisa Primary School grounds to pay their last respect to Tirop, who would have celebrated her 26th birthday today.

Hellen Obiri, the women's 5,000m world champion and a mentor to Tirop, said Kenya has lost a hero.

"I told her that in 2022, she was to go and defend my titles and represent our country," Obiri said during the burial ceremony.

The long-distance runner was found brutally murdered at her house in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County on October 13th.

An autopsy established that Tirop died of stab wounds on the neck and blunt force trauma on the head.

Her husband Ibrahim Rotich, who is the prime suspect in her murder, was arrested in Mombasa trying to flee to a neighboring country. An Iten court on Monday allowed police to detain Rotich for 20 days pending completion of investigations.

Following her murder, police found in her house an athletics trophy that she had yet to unwrap.

Tirop represented Kenya in the 5,000-meter race at the Tokyo Olympics two months ago and finished fourth in the finals. She shattered the women-only 10km world record in Germany last month, crossing the line in 30:01 to shed 28 seconds from the previous 19-year record held by Morocco’s Asmae Leghzaoui.

She won bronze medals at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships in the 10,000m, and also won the 2015 World Cross Country Championships.

Leaders led by Nandi Governor Stephen Sang urged the government to ensure Tirop's wealth registered under her estranged husband's name is transferred to her parents.