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Ibrahim Rotich, a man said to be the husband of the late long-distance runner Agnes Tirop, wanted to break her legs, a witness in the ongoing murder case told an Eldoret High Court.
In the case, the family is represented by Lawyer Hillary Cheboi Kibaset, Duncan Kiprono and Richard Warigi.
Victor Lapita Koilel, who hails from Narok, and who regularly trained with the deceased athlete in Iten on Monday unpacked his life and times with the deceased.
Koilel opened up on his knowledge of the two’s relationship up to the time she was discovered dead at her home in Iten on October 13, 2021.
“I knew her in March 2018 through a certain coach, Eric, who was a training group in Iten. From March to August 2018, I trained with her,” he said.
Koilel told the court that one of the key training moments with the deceased was months before the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
“In April 2021, she went for trials at Kasarani, for the Olympics. We went together. After the trial, we went to Iten again for training,” he told the court.
“After training for days in Iten, I went with her to kasarani again. I went with her to help her pace. We were at Kasarani for two weeks.”
It was after the training at Kasarani that Tirop proceeded to the Olympics together with other athletes as Koilel returned to Iten.
“I called Ibrahim Rotich while she was at the Olympics and informed him that I was back in Iten. I knew him as the husband of the deceased. He didn’t receive my call.”
Lawyer Hillary Cheboi representing the family of Agnes Tirop at Eldoret High Court.
The capital of Japan, Tokyo, hosted the Summer Olympic Games from July 24 to August 8, 2021.
Koilel told the court that after the completion of the Olympics, Agnes came back from Japan.
Later, Rotich would meet him during which he inquired on the happenings during the Kasarani training.
During the conversation, Koilel said Rotich told him they had differed with Tirop, an incident that forced her to leave her matrimonial home for her parent’s home.
“I met Rotich and he asked me if I saw anything while we were at Kasarani,” Koilel told the court.
“I told him I saw nothing and he told me that they had differed with her and she had gone to her parents’ home. He told me if she calls me, I should not talk to her.”
Koilel continued:
“He didn’t open up to me in detail. I didn’t understand what he meant.”
“A week later, Agness called me and told me to go and stay with her in Mosoriot. She told me to go home because they had differed with Ibrahim. I went to Mosoriot after she sent me the fare.”
Upon her arrival, Koilel told the court that the deceased athlete confirmed to her that they disagreed with her husband, Rotich.
“She said she asked Ibrahim (Rotich) why he uses alot of money in clubs. She told me she went home because Ibrahim wanted to break her legs. She seemed shocked while she was telling me these words.”
Koilel and Tirop stayed in Mosoriot for three weeks after which they went back to Iten for training.
At the time, the differences with the husband were still unresolved.
After days of training, she went to Germany to take part in the 10km race during which she smashed the world record (for a women-only race) in a time of 30:01 at the Adizero Road To Records event in Herzogenaurach.
“She came back to Iten after smashing the record in Germany. She told me she wanted to try a 5-kilometre race. She stayed at the camp the time she was at Iten.”
On October 9, 2021, Koilel narrates that the deceased implored him to accompany her to Mosoriot to visit her parents.
At the time she called him to ask him for that, Koilel says he was in Iten
“We got into a matatu with her Sister. While we were at their home she showed me the piece of land she bought her parents, and then we left the farm and went back to their home,” he said.
“The following day (October 10, 2021) we took tea, and I went to take care of their cows on the roadside. A taxi came and picked her up, I didn’t know the person in it.”
On that day evening, Koilel told the court he went back to Iten around 8 PM together with Tirop’s sister.
“That day I never talked to her, I waited for her call all in vain. The following day (October 11, 2021) I proceeded to train lonely.
“I inquired from the accused person (Ibrahim Rotich) where she was and he said that he too was not aware of where she was.”
On that day (October 11, 2021) evening, Koilel says the deceased called him during which she informed her that she was heading to her matrimonial home.
She instructed him to pick some maize from her Iten camp house during which she told him they were now in good terms with the husband.
“She told me they had sorted their differences with the accused person. I didn’t go and pick the maize. She went to her home. I was not with her, I didn’t see her that day,” he narrated.
And added:
“The following day (October 12, 2021), I called her sister to ask if she had heard anything about the deceased.
“I called her again later to ask if he had talked to her. She told me that Agnes had gone for training for four days. I told her to call the deceased to check if she was okay.”
Koilel told the court that Agnes’ sister made several attempts to reach her on the phone in vain.
“Her sister called her and still she was not receiving calls. Ibrahim (the husband) too didn’t pick up our calls. I called her parents and told them to come to Iten. Both of them came to Iten, at around. 7 or 8pm,” he said.
“We went to the police station to report at Iten. At the time, I was with the deceased father, her mother and others.”
Koilel said they were informed to come back the following day because it was too late to act on the matter.
The following day, the arrived at the station together with Agnes’ parents during which it was decided they visit her matrimonial home.
“We went where Agness and the accused person were staying. We got the gate closed, and one of us jumped over and opened the gate,” he told the court.
“We got into the compound and found the doors to the house too closed. We were with the police. We peeped through the window, I saw her lying on the floor in the bedroom in a pool of blood, dead. I shouted.”
“We broke into the house and found Tirop was indeed dead. Police took the body to the morgue.”
The hearing of the case is set to continue Tuesday.
BY CLAUSE MASIKA