The Cabinet, led by President William Ruto paid tribute to the late marathon world record-holder Kelvin Kiptum, who tragically lost his life in a car accident on Sunday.
According to statement on X shared by State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, the Cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto, observed a minute of silence in honor of Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana of Rwanda.
“Cabinet meeting underway at State House Nairobi, with President William Ruto leading Cabinet secretaries in honoring the late marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, by observing a one-minute silence,” stated Mohamed.
Kiptum, aged 24, was driving from Kaptagat to Eldoret in the Rift Valley when his vehicle veered off the road, crashing into a tree.
His meteoric rise in the marathon world was highlighted by his extraordinary feat of setting a world record time of 2:00:35 in Chicago in October, shaving 34 seconds off Eliud Kipchoge’s previous record. Remarkably, this achievement came in only his third marathon race.
Prior to his tragic accident, Kiptum had triumphed in his first two marathon races, securing victories in Valencia in 2022 and London the following year. His performances resulted in him claiming three of the seven fastest marathon times in history.
The grieving family of Kelvin Kiptum is appealing to the government to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his untimely death.
Local politicians have also joined in the call for an exhaustive inquiry, urging the police to leave no stone unturned until the cause of Kiptum’s fatal accident is determined.
