Two arrested in bid to rob athlete of cash

Two of the three people, who allegedly tried to force athlete Abraham Kiprotich Kemboi to withdraw cash from a bank, have been arrested.

Nandi Central police boss Shem Muganda said an officer was shot in the leg in the Monday afternoon incident at Equity Bank in Kapsabet.

One of the three was a prison warder.

“On seeing the police, the three men tried to run away but two of them, one a prison officer based at Ruiru, were arrested while one escaped,” said Mr Muganda. The warder is in custody at Kapsabet police station.

Mr Kemboi had been summoned to record a statement on claims the incident could have occurred because of a debt, said the police officer.

The athlete on Tuesday recalled how police rescued him from three armed men who had carjacked him and forced him to drive to the bank where they ordered him to withdraw Sh300,000.

The athlete said he cooperated and drove to the bank but while inside, secretly alerted the police in Kapsabet.

DEBT ALLEGATIONS

The 30-year-old Mr Kemboi, who won the Turkey Marathon in November last year, declined to comment on reports that the attackers were people he knew.

He told the Nation that he knew the prison officer, who he said is also a runner.

Police said they were investigating claims that the athlete owed a woman, who is out of the country, more than Sh200,000 which he had allegedly refused to pay despite demands from her family.

The police boss added when the three men arrived in Kapsabet they found Mr. Kemboi and asked him to pay the debt on the spot and he asked them to give him time so that he could go and fetch the ATM Card before promising he would come and then give them the money in the Equity Bank.

The Police Boss added after the three men waited for the world Marathoner to turn up without success they finally agreed to go back to his home and as they drove back found Kemboi on the way and asked him that they go together so that he could withdraw the money and pay to which he agreed.

On arriving at the bank the international runners alerted one senior police officer in Kapsabet who mobilized the police and they came.

“Upon seeing the police three men attempted to run a way but two of them among them the prison officer based in Ruiru were arrested while one managed to escape,” said Mr Muganda adding that they had summoned Kemboi to record a statement over claims the whole incident could have occurred because of dispute in settling the debt.

In the ensuing drama at the bank, the suspected criminals opened fire and injured a police officer who had gone to rescue the athlete. He was rushed to Kapsabet County referral hospital where he was treated and discharged.

BACKGROUND
Runner tells of his ordeal

Abraham Kiprotich Kemboi said after he was carjacked, the three men stopped at Namgoi Trading Centre three kilometres from Kapsabet Town on the Kapsabet-Kaimosi highway.

He said one of them took out a pistol and held it against his head and ordered him to drive to Equity Bank in Kapsabet and give them money, threatening to shoot him if he resisted.

Kenyan-born French long distance runner Kemboi began running long distances in 2010.

He made a career breakthrough at the 2012 Dusseldorf Marathon, running a time of 2:08:35 to finish eight seconds behind the winner and placed third.