By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (September 2^nd 2025)

The VAA

Kenya’s Veteran Athletes Association unequivocally condemned the recent spate of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) that had claimed the lives of among others, Olympic athletes Agnes Tirop and Rebecca Cheptegui. The VAA, through its Organizing Secretary Simion Biwott (usually known as Simon) detailed what had happened in both cases.

Earlier this year, Ibrahim Rotich, Agnes Tirop’s husband and so-called coach absconded after buying his freedom. He had previously been arrested trying to flee Kenya shortly after Agnes Tirop was brutally murdered. Given that Rotich was an obvious flight risk, the question of why he was allowed his freedom on bail, especially while he was on trial for her murder.

Yesterday at their Converse Meeting in Eldoret’s Sirikwa Hotel, Biwott announced a four-point programme of activities that the VAA would conduct over the following year. One of them will be combatting GBV. They will also be working with Tirop’s Angels, an organisation established by Kenyan-born marathon runner, Joan Chelimo Melli who recently ran for Romania at the World Championships in Tokyo.

Tirop’s Angels demand justice for Agnes Tirop, but also educate the young on their rights and assist victims of GBV and gender-exploitation suffered by athletes, especially female ones – like Agnes Tirop and Rebecca Cheptegui, who were targeted emotionally by unscrupulous men seeking to take advantage of their athletic talent for economic gain.

For further information see Simon Biwott on Gender Violence in Kenyan Athletics  below