Retired Kenyan marathoner dies after attack at his Eldoret home
Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 05.10.24. | 14:44
The police said that Kandie’s hands and legs were tied, and his phone was stolen. No other belongings were taken.
The athletics fraternity is reeling from the harrowing death of retired marathoner Samson Kandie, who was brutally killed by unknown assailants on Thursday night at his home in the upscale Elgon View Estate in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.
Authorities are treating the case as a murder, with Uasin Gishu police commander Benjamin Mwanthi confirming that the 53-year-old athlete was hacked to death by individuals who appeared to have been waiting for him at his home.
Mwanthi said that Kandie’s hands and legs were tied, and his phone was stolen. No other belongings were taken.
Later, a stranger called and told the wife to look for Kandie behind the toilet where the body was discovered.
He was found in critical condition and died on arrival at a hospital in the city.
"We are investigating the incident and looking for the suspects involved to bring them to book," Mwanthi said.
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Mozzart Sport also caught up with Kandie’s best friend and former athlete Benjamin Limo who explained that they were struggling to understand the senseless killing of a man known for his peaceful and shy-spoken nature.
Limo was Kandie’s colleague in the Kenya Defence Forces and best man at his wedding in 2001. He described him as a man who stayed out of trouble.
"I was at home sleeping when I received a call at 2 am, informing me that Kandie was in critical condition at the hospital. I rushed there with a fellow athlete, Sammy Korir, but by the time we arrived at 2:30 am, he was already gone,” he told Mozzart Sport.
Limo eulogized Kandie as a quiet and humble individual who focused on his work and maintained good relations with all.
"He had no problems with anyone. He was a timekeeper who lived in peace with everyone. We are left wondering what those who attacked him wanted,” he averred.
This is not the first time such a case has been reported in the City of Champions. Earlier this year, Kenyan-born Ugandan athlete Benjamin Kiplagat was found in a car with stab wounds to his chest and neck. Kiplagat's body had a deep knife wound to his neck, suggesting he was stabbed.
Limo called for better security and protection of athletes.
“It’s devastating to think that athletes are being targeted like this. We feel vulnerable, not knowing who could be next,” Limo cried out.
Kandie, who retired from competitive running, had been a low-profile figure in recent years and was widely respected in the athletics community.
His career highlights include victories at the 2002 Sapporo Marathon and the 2004 Vienna Marathon. He was a podium finisher in the 1999 Berlin Marathon where he set his personal best time of 2:08:31.
