Kemboi was confirmed dead on Monday, October 7 after his body was found in Koisungur, Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County in a suspected case of suicide.
The Kenyan athletics fraternity has been plunged into mourning following the death of 2015 African Games 3,000m steeplechase champion, Clement Kemboi, the second time in less than 24 hours that the country is mourning the loss of one of its athletes.
Kemboi was confirmed dead on Monday, October 7 after his body was found in Koisungur, Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County in a suspected case of suicide.
Elgeyo Marakwet County Police Commander Peter Mulinge confirmed to the press that the athlete’s lifeless body was found hanging on a rope tied to a tree at St Patrick High School farm within Koisungur village in Iten.
Police have since moved the body of the deceased athlete to the Iten County Referral morgue awaiting postmortem.
Clement Kemboi during a past race. /FACEBOOK
The late Kemboi honed his skills in the 3000m steeplechase and drew global attention after winning the 2005 Africa Games as a teenager.
Six years later, he won his first international circuit at the 2011 Weltklasse in Biberach, running a personal best of 8:34.22 in the 3000m.
Another notable performance from the athlete came in 2015, when he won his first international medal, winning the Africa Games men’s steeplechase aged just 23. During an impressive year for him, he was ranked 8th worldwide in the men’s steeplechase and at some point, drew comparisons to his legendary namesake Ezekiel Kemboi.
His personal best time in the 3000m came in 2016 at the Doha Diamond League where he recorded an impressive time of 8:10.65.
Kemboi’s death comes as Kenyans come to terms with the death of former world 800 metres bronze medallist Kipyegon Bett, who died on Sunday, October 6 from kidney and liver failure at the age of 26, according to his family.
Bett was one of Kenya’s most promising middle-distance runners but was banned by the World Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) in August 2018 for four years after he tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance erythropoietin (EPO). He denied ever using the blood-boosting drug.
Purity Kirui, Bett’s sister, said the athlete had been unwell for over a month and had been admitted to AIC Litein Hospital as an outpatient before his condition worsened.
On Friday last week, former marathoner Samson Kandie was attacked at his Eldoret home by thugs before he was rushed to Real Hospital where he succumbed to injuries.
