The husband of two-time world championship bronze medallist Agnes Jebet Tirop has been arrested for her murder, Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said on Thursday night.
"The prime suspect in the gruesome murder of 25-year-old ... Agnes Tirop, has been arrested," the DCI said in a tweet.
"Ibrahim Rotich, who was in a relationship with the athlete was arrested moments ago in Changamwe, Mombasa county, as he tried to flee to a neighboring country to evade justice," the directorate said.
The DCI said that Rotich was believed to have stabbed Tirop to death before going into hiding, adding that he rammed his car into a lorry as he tried to escape. He was being interrogated by police in Mombasa and was set to be "arraigned to answer to murder charges" after that.
Tirop's body was found at home in Iten with "visible stab wounds on her abdomen" on Wednesday, the DCI said.
Tirop took world bronze over 10,000 metres in 2017 and 2019, and finished fourth in the 5,000m at the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer.
She also set the world record for the women-only 10-kilometres earlier this year and was world cross country champion in 2015 when aged only 19.
"Kenya has lost a jewel who was one of the fastest-rising athletics giants on the international stage, thanks to her eye-catching performances on the track," AK said on Wednesday.
