Olympic champion recounts strange events after night out

Former 1,500m world champion Asbel Kiprop has opened up about an unusual night in Eldoret that left him waking up hours later alone in a guest house, with police now investigating what happened.

Kiprop, who is now a senior police officer holding the rank of Chief Inspector, had gone to a club in Kapseret, Uasin Gishu County, to watch football before meeting a woman who later accompanied him to a nearby guest house.

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Speaking to The Standard in Eldoret on Monday, the former athlete described how a night that had started casually took an unexpected turn after he invited the woman for a drink.

“I know many people cannot say what I’m telling you about the incident, believe it or not. When I saw the woman at around 1 am, that is Saturday night — you could call it morning — she looked smart, dressed in a yellow sweatshirt and green trousers; she was truly beautiful, and I told myself this is my choice,” Kiprop said.

Kiprop said he had not suspected anything unusual about the woman, who he found sitting alone and taking soft drinks at the club. After spending some time together, they later decided to leave for a nearby guest house.

What happened after they arrived remains unclear to Kiprop. He said his memory of the night became hazy, with his next clear recollection coming much later in the afternoon.

“I cannot say what exactly happened; all I remember is that we got tired, bought some snacks, and left for a nearby guest house around 4.12 am that very Saturday. Do you know what happened? I found no one but myself in the room the next day at around 3pm,” he recalled.

Police Begin Investigation

Police in Kapseret are now searching for the woman as they investigate allegations that Kiprop was drugged and robbed of a significant amount of money during the encounter.

Area Police Commander Sephania Kamoren said Kiprop recorded a statement on Saturday afternoon, providing investigators with details that could help establish what happened and trace the suspect.

The former athlete had gone to the club on Friday afternoon to watch football matches before the woman joined him. The two reportedly shared drinks before proceeding to a nearby guest house.

According to police, Kiprop was later found drugged in the room, while the woman had allegedly left. The exact amount of money lost has not been disclosed.

Kamoren, accompanied by Langas Police Station Officer Commanding Station Ngetich Hillary, said officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations had taken over the case.

“I want to thank the officer known as Asbel Kiprop for highlighting this as a formative message to some of us; this is a real man of God and the ambassador to the nation. It’s not easy for a person of that calibre to come out and reveal such a shameful incident to the public,” Kamoren said.

“His message creates spiritual awareness to the youth, that they should be mindful of their lives whenever they are out there and that what had happened to him should be a lesson to everyone,” he added.

Police have also advised Kiprop to work with Safaricom to trace the movement of money from his M-Pesa account.

“Tirop has already reported his claims to Safaricom to trace the movement of his money through the statement. We are doing everything possible to catch her as soon as possible,” Kamoren promised.

Kiprop’s Illustrious Running Career

Before joining the police service, Kiprop built one of Kenya’s most decorated middle-distance running careers.

He became a global name after winning the 1,500m gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He later became a three-time world champion in the same distance, winning world titles in 2011, 2013 and 2015.

His success made him one of Kenya’s leading middle-distance athletes of his generation and earned him recognition both locally and internationally.

Kiprop’s transition from elite athletics to the police service marked another chapter in his life, with the former champion eventually rising to the rank of Chief Inspector.

His latest experience has, however, placed him on the other side of a police investigation, as detectives work to establish how the encounter at the club ended with him allegedly losing money.

Kamoren urged members of the public to exercise caution when interacting with strangers, particularly in entertainment establishments.