NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 7 – Two Kenyan athletes, former Africa Games champion Clement Kemboi, and former World Under-20 champion Kipyegon Bett have died under different circumstances in Iten and Bomet respectively.
Bett, an 800m specialist, died at Tenwek Hospital after an illness, while Kemboi’s lifeless body was found hanging on a rope off a tree at St. Patrick High School’s farm, according to Elgeyo Marakwet Police Commander Peter Mulinge.
Bett, who is also a 2017 World bronze medalist had been admitted at the Tenwek Hospital due to illness since last Monday and passed away Sunday afternoon.
According to his sister Purity Kirui who spoke to the Daily Nation, Bett has been unwell for the past one month and was rushed to hospital last Monday after his situation worsened.
Bett had been working his way up after returning to action in 2022 following a four-year doping ban that had dated back to 2018.
“Last week we took him to hospital after he started vomiting blood and he was admitted. I went to see him [on Sunday] morning and he told me he was in pain,” Kirui said, in an interview with BBC Sports.
She added; “He told our dad, who is a pastor, to pray for him because he didn’t feel he would survive and after noon he died. We tried everything to save him, but he left us. It’s very painful.”
Kirui, who is a 3,000m steeplechaser, said that his younger brother’s life took a turn for the worst when he was handed a doping ban, which led him to depression. Kirui said he started over consuming alcohol, and efforts to get him to rehab proved futile.
