UPDATE Monday, November 16: Olympic gold medallist Conseslus Kipruto was on Monday, November 16 freed o after pleading not guilty to defiling a 15-year-old girl.
The renowned athlete who competes in the 3000-metre steeplechase was released on a Ksh200,000 bond by Kapsabet court.
The case is set to be mentioned on Thursday, May 20 2020.
Police in Nandi County has launched a manhunt for Olympic gold medallist Conseslus Kipruto for allegedly eloping with a form 2 student at his home in Chesumei.
A report filed at the Mosoriot police station by the girl’s parents revealed that the girl went missing for three days and upon her return was hesitant to say where she had been.
Confirming the filing of the police report at Mosoriot, Chesumei OCPD Bosita Omukolongolo stated that he could not immediately establish the age of the girl.
“We are looking for an athlete whose whereabouts remain unknown. Upon arresting the suspect, we shall record his statement and thereafter conclude investigations into the defilement allegations,” the OCPD stated.
The student was later compelled to come clean after records from her phone indicated that she was in constant communication with the steeplechase champion.
The parents claimed that their daughter was defiled and want the police to investigate the matter promptly.
The alleged defilement victim was taken to hospital for examination.
Conseslus Kipruto is a popular Kenyan middle-distance runner well known for competing in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He has won the gold medal in 2016, 2017 and 2019 summer Olympics and World Championships respectively.
The allegations of defilement comes a few months after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered an investigation into rising reports of violence against women and girls - including rape, domestic violence, female genital mutilation (FGM), and child marriage - as a result of coronavirus restrictions.
Kenyatta had in July 2020, stated that chiefs would be answerable on how school-going children were being defiled under their watch.
"How do we allow people to go around impregnating small girls and we don't speak about it? We will wait for DNA results and you are the ones who will bear that burden,"
"Na wewe chief lazima utasema what you were doing when these children were being abused (You will also have to explain what you were doing when children were being abused)," the president warned.
A surge in the number of teenage pregnancies has largely been attributed to the closure of schools.
A report by the National Council on Population and Development (NCPD) showed that two out of five teenagers in Kenya are either young mothers or pregnant.
