Wilson Kiprugut's burial date shifted

The burial of the celebrated athlete Wilson Kiprugut Chumo has been shifted to Saturday next week by the planning committee following consultation with various stakeholders.

Family members and the committee members confirmed to Nation Sport on Friday that the changes had been necessitated by a number of factors and requests from dignitaries and residents who wanted the ceremony moved from a weekday to the weekend.

“It is true that the changes on the burial dates have been made and ratified so as to allow as many people as possible to attend.

“Once the initial report on the burial date for Friday was made, the planning committee was inundated with requests from far and wide to shift it to weekend,” Richard Ngetich, a member of the committee said.

It has also been confirmed that the funeral service will be held at the neighbouring Kipsigis Girls’ High School which is expansive and accommodates more mourners as compared to the available space in the deceased’s home.

Gideon Kipng’ eno, the last born son of the deceased, said the Board of Management of Kipsigis Girls’ High School informed the family when the request was placed for use of its open grounds for the service ahead of burial, that the institution would not open its gates for the public on a weekday. 

“The Board of Management was of the position that the grounds would only be available for use on a weekend, thus the shift from Friday to Saturday,” Kipng’eno said on telephone.

Sarah Langat, the first born daughter of the fallen legendary athlete, called on members of the public to bear with the family on the changes, saying it was the best practical thing to do in the prevailing circumstances.

Mourners yesterday continued to condole with the family at their Kipchebor home in Ainamoi constituency, Kericho County following the demise of the octogenarian.

Kiprugut developed breathing complications and collapsed at his home on Tuesday as he was being prepared to take lunch and was rushed to Siloam Hospital where he died while undergoing treatment.

The body is lying at the Siloam Hospital Mortuary ahead of a post-mortem to be conducted next week and subsequent handing over to the family for burial.

The body is expected to be moved out of the mortuary on Friday next week for overnight stay at home ahead of the burial on Saturday.

Though official records show that he was born in August, 1941 at Kinamget Village in Ainamoi, Kericho County, there is a strong indication that Kiprugut was actually born in 1938 with his peers previously pointing it out.

Kiprugut earned a Bronze medal in 1964 Olympics, a silver medal in the 1968 Summer Olympics Games held in Mexico in his athletics career.

Two years earlier (1962) in Perth Australia, he had competed in the 4x400 relays, but his team finished fifth in the competition in the team were Kimaru Sonkok, Peter Francis and Seraphino Antao.

Kiprugut went on to secure a bronze medal in 800 metres (880 yards) in the competition.

Kiprugut won a bronze medal during Commonwealth Games held in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1966.

He inspired a generation of athletes in the country and went on to maintain a very low profile living a simple life in his four-acre farm which he bought with proceeds from his athletic career and salary from the military where he resigned as a sergeant in 1974.

Athletics Kenya President Jack Tuwei told Nation Sport that he is in touch with the family and the federation is assisting in ensuring burial preparations are smooth.

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