World Championship bronze medalist on 5,000 meters, Kenyan Agnes Tirop, was killed in 2021. Her husband is charged with murdering her, but denies the allegations.
In 2022, Kenyan long-distance runner Damaris Muthee Mutua was killed, and her boyfriend was suspected of the murder.
Now, with the death of Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan Olympic runner living in Kenya, who was burned to death by her boyfriend or ex-boyfriend, voices are again being raised to demand that something be done to protect female elite athletes in Kenya.
In its editorial, Kenya Star writes that "the only solution is for the government to step in and protect these women who have become victims of their male partners."
The newspaper believes that the government should set up a special support program for female runners.
"The Attorney General should also appoint a permanent advocate. A contract with a female athlete should only be valid if signed by a government advocate," writes Kenya Star.
Exploited as Cash Cows
Agnes Tirop's death in 2021 was a wake-up call in Kenya, where female running stars are exploited as cash cows. Above all, young women risk being exploited by coaches, agents, and even their closest relatives.
Female athletes are given (economic) responsibility for the entire family, said Mary Keitany, a training colleague of Tirop's, to AFP after Tirop's death.
Keitany also said that runners, who are often forced by their parents to drop out of school to focus on sports, have difficulty making decisions about their lives and earnings, and risk being exploited both sexually in training groups and economically by greedy husbands.
Empowering Girls
After Tirop's death, the organization Tirop's Angels was formed by female running stars, including Kenyan Joan Chelimo Melly. The European Championship silver medalist in Rome last summer met Cheptegei during the Olympic Games in Paris, where they both participated in the marathon.
I'm so sad about her death, because maybe I could have done something if I had known what was going on, said Chelimo Melly in a TV program, according to CBC.
Tirop's Angels travel around Kenya to educate girls and young women about warning signs of violence in close relationships and how to report it.
We have saved many lives and have many, many positive cases to tell about, said Chelimo Melly.
