The late world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum's father has emerged with a fresh set of demands to President William Ruto, more than a year after the athlete succumbed following an unfortunate incident.
Kiptum's father, Samson Cheruiyot, voiced his frustrations in an emotional appeal to the Head of State as he claimed efforts to reach the president proved futile.
Cheruiyot further lamented the lack of compensation from the government, despite initial promises made by former Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba.
"I want to ask the president. I have tried to reach you, but it has been difficult," Cheruiyot said. "We were summoned by Ababu Namwamba on March 20, 2024, and we talked. We were told we would be compensated."
Kiptum passed away at age 24 after a devastating road mishap. He was in the company of his Rwandese coach, Gervais Hakizimana, who also perished in the incident.
Kiptum's dad further claimed that while Kiptum’s Rwandese coach was compensated Ksh5 million, his own family was yet to receive anything from the government.
“I saw it with my own eyes alongside my wife. The coach was compensated. I just want to know, where is my compensation?” he questioned.
Besides concerns about the Ksh5 million compensation, Cheruiyot's dad also claimed he was yet to receive the official autopsy report about his son's passing away for closure.
In addition, he also expressed concern over the whereabouts of the vehicle in which his son was travelling at the time of the tragedy, claiming that despite enquiries, there has been no clear direction on the way forward.
"Even the car. After the misfortune, we have heard very little. On matters regarding the car, I have already given up, Mr President," the bereaved father added.
Notably, this is not the first time Kiptum's kin have come forward to decry their current situation since the athlete's passing.
In November 2024, Kiptum's parents claimed they had been living in subpar conditions since the athlete's succumbing, with amenities as simple as a toilet lacking in their compound.
Kiptum's legacy: Kiptum put Kenya on the world map after running a marathon at 2:00:35 in October 2023. No one has been able to beat his record to date.
In his short athletics career, the late marathoner made millions from just three races. Kiptum took part in the Valencia, London, and, more famously, the Chicago marathons. These races brought him over Ksh67 million, excluding sponsorships.
Many athletics fans had tipped him to take over from marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge, who has also faced unwarranted backlash since Kiptum's passing.
