High Court Refuses To Accept Woman's Request To Stop Kelvin Kiptum Burial

The woman, Edna Owuor, claimed to have a child with the late marathoner and appeared in court while in the company of the child

High Court Refuses To Accept Woman's Request To Stop Kelvin Kiptum Burial
Photo of the late world record holder, Kelvin Kiptum. /FILE

An Eldoret court has declined to suspend the burial of world record holder Kelvin Kiptum after a 22-year-old woman moved to court to stop it from happening in the first place.

The woman, Edna Owuor, claimed to have a child with the late marathoner and appeared in court while in the company of the child seeking to postpone the burial scheduled for the following day.

However, Justice Wananda, in response to the application presented by Owuor through her lawyer Joseph Oyaro, declined to issue an order preventing the burial, indicating that it would proceed as planned.

Collage of Kelvin Kiptum and a woman who moved to court to stop his burial from taking place on February 23, 2024. /GHETTO RADIO

Owuor argued that the rights of their one-year-and-seven-month-old child would be compromised if the burial was to proceed without her involvement.

She asserted that she was not included in funeral arrangements and also requested the court to authorize DNA testing to confirm the paternity of the child.

In declining to issue the orders, Justice Wananda noted that the burial preparations had been underway for a considerable period, involving substantial costs, and deemed it unjust to halt the interment at this stage.

Kiptum is set to be buried on Friday, February 23 in a state accorded funeral, which was approved by the cabinet and will be attended by President William Ruto, among other dignitaries.

On Thursday at 9:00 a.m., the marathoner's body left the morgue in a funeral procession that is expected to head on to Eldoret town for a public body viewing ceremony.

Later on, the funeral procession will head on to church for a funeral service before proceeding to his home in Naiberi, Iten.

Kelvin Kiptum, will laid to rest two days after the burial of his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, who was buried yesterday in his home country Rwanda.

The burial date was moved up from the initial date of Saturday, February 24 owing to President Ruto's scheduled trip to Namibia.

A collage photo of Kelvin Kiptum's funeral procession in Eldoret on February 22, 2024. /VIRAL TEA KE