“The claims that the woman made it to the station before Kemboi are false,” the source asserted/FILE
A 26-year-old woman, Ann Njeri, reported to police that the Daegu 3000m steeplechase titleholder stabbed her in the chest after an altercation at her West Indies Estate home in an incident if proved, could see the Athens gold medallist ejected from the London bound team besides facing criminal charges.
“When we got to our home, we had an argument and he started beating me and I fought back, hitting him as well. I tried to run away from him but he continued attacking me and it was then I was stabbed,” Njeri said at her hospital bed at Eldoret’s Med Hill Hospital.
However, a source privy to the happenings on Wednesday night told Capital Sport that Kemboi is lucky to be alive after escaping an ambush laid by his accuser and two male accomplices.
“The lady approached Kemboi in Eldoret at around midnight and asked him if he could help in securing her scholarship abroad. He told her that would not be possible since he was preparing for the Olympics.
“She then requested Kemboi who was leaving for home to give her a lift in his vehicle to West Indies which he obliged a short while. They stopped at the KVDA Plaza where Njeri asked him to give her sometime to buy some chips at a restaurant,” our source who did not want to be named since the matter is under police investigation said.
“But instead of going to the hotel, she engaged some Taxi drivers in conversation and returned to the car. Kemboi asked her why she had not bought the chips but she told him she was no longer hungry.
“They took to Uganda road and next to the Post Office; a vehicle overtook Kemboi who recognised it as one of the cars he had seen parked close to the men who were talking to the woman,” the informant added.
“Kemboi asked her whether that was the same vehicle but Njeri told him maybe, the taxi had found customers. On entry to her gate, Kemboi saw two men on the drivers’ side as she was alighting and a scuffle ensued.
“While two men were struggling with him to pin him down, the lady was busy emptying his pocket, taking his wallet and money. Kemboi went on fighting his assailants and it is at that stage when one removed a knife and aimed it at his stomach.
“However, he ducked and the knife found the lady and in the ensuing confusion, Kemboi was able to free himself, start his car and drive straight to Eldoret Police where he filed the report some minutes before 1am,” the account went on.
Hours later, the accuser it is claimed, turned up at the same station to lay charges against the athlete who made the London 2012 team by finishing second at the Kenyan trials last Saturday.
“She brought his wallet that was left at the scene as evidence she was with Kemboi and the police questioned her and filed the report. He is lucky since things would have turned out tragic had he not ducked,” the source explained.
According to the informant, his attackers did not take his high end phone that was placed at the dashboard which he used to call some of his friends after the incident.
“The claims that the woman made it to the station before Kemboi are false,” the source asserted.
Rift Valley Provincial Police chief Francis Munyambu confirmed the incident but says they have not established all the relevant facts about it with investigations ongoing.
Team Kenya management have acknowledged the incident and will issue a statement when they get a brief from police, Capital Sport has established.
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