This archive report was first published on 14 October 2021.
On October 14, 2021, the world of athletics was left reeling after the tragic death of 25-year-old Olympic athlete Agnes Tirop, who was found dead in her home in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet county, with stab wounds.
High-ranking Athletics Kenya officials have expressed concern over the safety of Kenya's female athletes in their marriages and relationships, citing a culture of silence and fear that prevents them from speaking out about their experiences.
"A majority of Kenya's female athletes are in abusive relationships, but afraid of coming out," said Elizabeth Keitany, a member of the AK women's committee.
"They are endangered species," Keitany added. "The challenge is they won't speak up out of fear. Some of them got into relations out of genuine love but in reality they don't know what they get into."
President Uhuru Kenyatta described Tirop's death as "unsettling, utterly unfortunate and very sad," and called for seminars to be held for female athletes to learn life skills and how to react in situations that could lead to bigger problems.
Agnes Tirop was a bronze medalist in the 500m World Championship and had represented Kenya in the 5,000m race at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she finished fourth.
