The husband of Agnes Tirop, the promising 25-year-old athlete whose murder caused emotion, was questioned Friday after his arrest the day before in Mombasa (east), AFP learned from police sources.
The Kenyan police announced late Thursday evening the arrest of Emmanuel Rotich thanks to the detection of his phone in this coastal town located several hundred kilometers from the scene of the tragedy.
Agnes Tirop, double 10,000m world medalist (in 2017 and 2019) and 4th in the last 5,000m Tokyo Olympics, was found this week stabbed at the couple's home in Iten, a high-altitude town in the west. from Kenya where many long-distance and middle-distance runners train.
According to police, in his 40s, Mr. Rotich is considered by police to be the main suspect in the murder.
He was due to appear in court on Friday but by late afternoon he was still at the Mombasa police station, where police were trying to determine where his case would be processed.
"
We still have it here and the investigation is continuing,
" said David Mathiu, police chief for Changamwe sub-county, where the suspect is being held.
A Mombasa police official told AFP he was being questioned on the spot while a police team "
collected evidence
" at Iten's house.
His phone was also analyzed.
He will be presented "
in court next week
," added this source.
"
Given the tension on the ground in Iten, it is unlikely that he will be prosecuted there
," she further clarified.
