Did the late marathoner Kelvin Kiptum’s father disown his sister?
It would appear that the late marathoner Kelvin Kiptum left behind a sister despite his father claiming he had no other children other than him.
Speaking to media on February 12, 2024, a day after the late Kiptum and his Rwandan coach, Gervais Hazikimana, died in a single vehicle accident in Ravine, Elgeyo Marakwet, the late Kiptum’s father, Samson Cheruiyot, told media he had only one child when asked how many children he had.
“Let me tell you. Kiptum was my only child. Just him. Now he has left me behind, his wife and his children. I have no other child. My wife had a little problem and the hospital just told us to stay like that. I agreed and we made peace with that. Right now, I don’t know what to say. I am looking a this children and I don’t know what I will do- and my son is gone,” said a heartbroken Ms Cheruiyot.
He went on to ask the government to help him. Days later, the government heeded this call and ordered for the construction of a home for the late Kiptum’s widow and their two children, and another one for Mr Cheruiyot. The contractors were given a week to complete the house ahead of Kiptum’s burial scheduled for Friday, February 23, 2024.
As the days counted down to the burial, the late Kiptum’s obituary was published in a national daily newspaper and it now emerges that he left behind a sister.
“Kelvin was the beloved firstborn child of Mr Samson Cheruiyot and Mary Chepkiyeng. The late Kelvin was husband of Asenath Cheruto Rotich. They were blessed with two children namely Caleb Kigen and Precious Cherop. He was brother of Rodah Chemutai,” read the lengthy obituary.
Having a sibling is not the only relationship drama emerging since the tragic passing of the World Record marathon breaker Kelvin Kiptum. Earlier this week, a woman, Ms Edna Awuor Otieno,22, emerged claiming she had conceived a child with the deceased.
Nation.Africa reported that Ms Awuor said the child, a one year and seven months old girl, was conceived but the larger family had refused to recognize her and the baby despite Kiptum recognizing them as his family and taking care of them. She had sought orders to stop the burial in order to obtain samples to determine the child’s paternity but the court declined her wishes.
In claiming the child was Kiptum’s, Ms Awuor wanted the court to have her and the child recognised as beneficiaries of the late Kiptum’s estate in addition to his widow and their two children.
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