Kenyan Athlete Embroiled in Fierce Court Battle Over Multi-Million Properties with Ex-Husband

Veteran Boston Marathon champion Sharon Jemutai Cherop is involved in a contentious court battle with her former husband, Mathew Bowen, a former international athlete and current American coach, for dominance and ownership of multi-million-shilling properties in Uasin Gishu County.

The fight has extended to the Eldoret High Court, where Bowen and Cherop are laying claim to a series of top assets, ranging from high-value parcels of land and a lucrative cosmetics business.

The essence of the battle is whether Bowen or Cherop brought what to the buyout of the contested assets during their 16-year marriage.

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According to Citizen Digital, Bowen told the court, "She misrepresentedly placed the matrimonial home in her own name as though she was holding it in trust for our two children. I purchased and developed the property myself."

One of the most contested assets is Kaptagat/Kaptagat Block 3 (Misoi) 622 whose matrimonial home of the ex-couple falls within the Kipkorgot location on the Eldoret-Ravine road. The asset is currently valued at Kshs. 34 million.

Another highly contested property is Uasin Gishu/Kimumu Settlement Scheme /4994 that is a prestige land plot valued at Kshs. 40 million according to court documents.

Also in dispute is Beauty Smile and Cosmetics, a business entity located within Eldoret town's central business district and valued at Kshs. 15 million.

The court case follows the formal breakdown of the marriage of the two in October last year at the Eldoret Law Courts.

Cherop had requested divorce based on grounds of adultery, cruelty, and absence by her husband.

"She was allowed to divorce her 16-year-old husband who is now a sports coach in the United State of America after a court finding that their marriage had irretrievably broken down," the ruling read in a judgment delivered by Principal Magistrate Peter Ireri.

In his High Court filings, Bowen had argued that he be allowed to keep holding onto the properties, claiming he had the cash expenses of buying them and faulted Cherop for shutting him out of the house in Kipkorgot with a court order.

But Cherop, in her own defence, totally denied the allegations, stating that she had only purchased most of the property with her savings from local and overseas races.

She also admitted that the houses were purchased while in their relationship, which was consummated in 2008, and went on to state that the couple has four children.

"I purchased the properties utilizing funds I acquired from various local and foreign races," she told the court, asking it to distribute the properties in proportion to the contribution of each party or otherwise justifiably.".

Cherop argues that the current occupation of Bowen as a United States coach is evidence of him being financially independent and strongly contends that the subject properties were never jointly developed as he maintains.

Bowen nonetheless confirms that he was unfairly evicted from the family house and desires the court to take notice of his attempts at the purchase and development of the subject properties.

The controversial high-stakes land dispute is being heard by Presiding Judge Reuben Nyakundi at the Eldoret High Court, where both parties are expected to present more evidence in an attempt to support their claims as the case proceeds.