Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

An amateur athlete, Charity Kiplagat broke down in tears in an Eldoret court yesterday as she recounted how her dream of running and studying in America after she secured a full education scholarship was shattered by her former boyfriend four years ago.

Kiplagat told the packed court that she survived death by a whisker in the hands of her former boyfriend, David Kwambai, a former Kenya Forest Service ranger.

Kwambai, she recalled, stormed her home while armed with a gun and fired at her with only one bullet causing severe injuries on her left leg on the fateful day.

The marathoner said that she sustained permanent bullet injuries that forced the college to cancel her scholarship programme at the United States of America-based college where she was preparing to fly out before the incident occurred.

Kiplagat told the Presiding judge Reuben Nyakundi that the incident has shattered her dream of ever taking part in any event related to athletics for the rest of her life.

Secured scholarship

“I had secured a full scholarship from Essex County College in the US where I was set to pursue my career in nursing and also continue with my passion of running, but now my dream cannot be realised due to the tragic (sic) incident,” said Kiplagat.

Kiplagat said that she had ended her relationship with the accused person more than three years before he stormed her family home and fired one bullet at her, leaving her for dead.

“I was rushed to Eldoret Hospital where the medics recommended that I be admitted for five days due to the severe bullet injury that I had sustained in the hands of my former lover,” she said.

She said that she incurred a medical bill amounting to more than Sh245,000 adding that she was still undergoing medical checkups even after being discharged from the private health facility.

Kiplagat who is represented by Mwani Mukabane was testifying in a case where Kwambai is accused of an attempted murder against her.

Denied offence

Kwamba who is out on bond has denied committing the offence on November 28, 2021 at Strasburg/Kapsengerut village in Ainabkoi sub county, Uasin Gishu county.

The State Counsel has lined up ten witnesses among them two investigating officers and family members of the complainant. Justice Nyakundi adjourned the hearing of the case to April 23, 2024.