Government to build Kelvin Kiptum’s family new house before he is buried

ATHLETICS Government to build Kelvin Kiptum’s family new house before he is buried

Joel Omotto 10:10 - 16.02.2024

President Ruto has ordered experts to build a new house for the family of departed marathon great Kelvin Kiptum in the next seven days to give him a befitting send-off.

The government is set to build the family of departed world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum a new house in the next seven days following an order from President William Ruto.

Kiptum died on Sunday, alongside his coach Gervais Hakizimana, following a road accident leaving his family distraught as he was their breadwinner.

Having had plans to construct a house for them before his untimely demise, they will now realise this dream courtesy of the Head of State who is keen to see the departed hero given a befitting send-off.

“We had very special guests today visiting Kiptum’s family and they were sent by the President, Dr William Ruto, because they want to put up a house for his family, a three-bedroom house that has to be ready before he is buried on February 24,” Citizen TV’s Mike Okinyi told the network on Thursday night.

“The engineers were on site today, they said; ‘give us the site you want the house to be and leave the rest to us. I seven days we shall have a house here and the President says he wants to be in the house before he is sent off like a hero.’

“There were three sites that they were looking at. One within his father’s compound plus two other pieces of land that he bought within Kaptagat so by the end of tomorrow [Friday] we should know where the family has decided where the house will be put and where Kiptum will be buried.”

It is a relief somewhat to Kiptum’s family who revealed when he died that he was planning to build them a house.

“We had very many good plans with my husband. Even in April, I was to go to the Rotterdam Marathon with him. The house was to be done in June and we planned to move out after that,” Kiptum’s wife Asenath Jeruto said this week.

“On Saturday night when we talked, he told me someone from Golazo [Kiptum’s management] will come and build us house and buy us a car,” his father Samson Cheruiyot also revealed on Monday.

The government announced early this week that it will ensure Kiptum is given a befitting send-off after flying the country’s flag high and it seems to be walking the talk from the early signs.

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