Kenyan athlete Damaris Muthee Mutua, 28, who was found dead on Tuesday in her house at Lillies Estate in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet county, was in good terms with her estranged Ethiopian lover, it has emerged.

Neighbours and colleagues of the duo who spoke to People Daily yesterday said the two long-distance runners had never differed openly.

“We are yet to come to terms (with the news) that he might have killed her,” said a colleague. Athletes in Iten who used to train with the duo have suspended their training to mourn Damaris, whom they described as focused and patriotic. 

Fled the country

Ethiopian Eskanda Elmariam is said to have killed Damaris two days ago at his rented house in Iten before fleeing the country. He is said to have called his friends and colleagues from an undisclosed location on Tuesday to report that he committed act.

Damaris had switched her nationality from Kenyan to Bahraini.

Yesterday, leaders from Elgeyo-Marakwet county urged the Ministry of Sports to initiate protocols to govern foreign athletes who come to Kenya, especially to Iten, for training.

“We must make it safe for both local and foreign athletes to train in Iten,” said Elgeyo-Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos. The sentiments were echoed by Keiyo North deputy County Commissioner Julius Maiyo and police sub-county commander Tom Makori.

A detective said Elmariam has been traced to Ethiopia and would be brought back to Kenya to face justice.

He called on security agencies to initiate fast investigations and track down the athlete’s killers and work closely with Interpol to bring them back into the country to face justice if indeed they left the country.

“I also call upon athletics officials to help come up with rules and protocols regarding safe training, particularly to guarantee the safety of young female athletes,” said Tolgos. 

“The latest killing has exposed a serious problems within the athletics fraternity that needs stern action,” added the governor. 

By yesterday, homicide detectives investigating the matter were still piecing together crucial leads which will help unravel circumstances under which the athlete met her death.

A DCI detective told People Daily that Elmariam has been traced to Ethiopia and the Kenyan government was liaising with their counterparts for him to be brought back to the country to face justice. 

Keiyo North deputy County Commissioner Julius Maiyo and police sub-county commander Tom Makori said police broke into the house and discovered Damaris’ lifeless body on the bed.

“Homicide detectives will establish the cause of death but there were blood spots on the bed,” said Maiyo. 

The body is lying at the Iten County Referral Hospital Mortuary. 

People Daily established that the long distance runners were last seen together days ago within Iten town. 

Makori said preliminary investigations indicate the victim visited the Ethiopian athlete at his rented house which is almost a kilometer from Iten police station.

“Detectives have commenced investigations into the incident.  We have established that neighbors were not even aware of the incident,” Makori told People Daily.