The husband of slain Kenyan Olympian Agnes Tirop is due in court following a late-night arrest in Mombasa.
25-year old Tirop was found dead at here home on Wednesday with apparent stab wounds to her neck. The discovery of her body in the town of Iten came a day after her father had filed a missing persons' report with police.
Police said Emmanuel Ibrahim Rotich was their "prime suspect" in their murder investigations.
Tirop had recently represented Kenya at the Tokyo Olympics, placing 4th in the women's 5,000m. She had won 10,000m bronze at each of the last two World Athletics Championships.
Police commander David Mathiu gave reporters details of Rotich's arrest.
"He had fled from Iten where he is suspected to have committed the offence" said Mathiu, "At the time of the arrest, he was with one of his friends who is also in custody.
ARREST MADE
Suspected killer husband of Agnes Tirop, the long distance runner heroine recently murdered at her home, has been arrested.The suspect, one Ibrahim Kipkemoi Rotich,who has been on the run with police on hot trail, was nabbed in Mombasa by diligent police detectives.. https://t.co/hgWNI88IJa pic.twitter.com/frGv54XeFH— National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) October 15, 2021
"An investigation is going on... and the suspect will be arraigned in court soon."
Rotich was tracked down in Mombasa after spending days offline. Investigating officers told AFP that Rotich had used his old SIM card in a new phone, helping them locate their man.
Meanwhile, Tirop's younger sister told reporters that their had been trouble between the athlete and Rotich shortly before her death.
Everlyne Chepng'etich spoke with Rotich on Tuesday morning after Tirop failed to come out of her house on Monday. Chepng'etich said she heard a commotion in the master bedroom on Monday, but was sent to the shops by Rotich who later told her Tirop had departed for Nairobi.
Rotich will be detained as detectives build their case against the 41-year old.
The first two legs of the upcoming Athletics Kenya Cross Country Championships have been postponed following Tirop's death.
"We will not only just sit back here but tomorrow we plan to visit her parents to stand with them and reassure them that we are with them throughout this tough period," said Athletics Kenya president, Jack Tuwei.
Meanwhile, Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta said Tirop, "brought our country so much glory through her exploits on the global athletics stage".
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