- State officials who spoke to the Star said the burial was scheduled for Friday due to President Ruto's trip to Namibia on Saturday.
- The government has taken over the planning of the burial and will shoulder all costs related to it.
The funeral for the late world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum, originally slated for Saturday has been rescheduled to this Friday.
President William Ruto is set to attend the burial.
His family had initially communicated February 24 as the burial date.
State officials who spoke to the Star said the burial was scheduled for Friday due to President Ruto's trip to Namibia on Saturday.
The government has taken over the planning of the burial and will shoulder all costs related to it.
"The president wants the late marathoner accorded a befitting send-off and so the government has taken charge but working closely with the family," said the official.
Last week, Ruto demonstrated his commitment to honouring Kiptum's legacy by dispatching a team of engineers to oversee the construction of a house.
Kiptum's widow Asenath Rotich told the media in an interview at his home that they had planned to put up a new house.
"We had a lot of plans with him. We were set to start a business and move to a new house...I asked him about the house we were about to build, and he said he was waiting for the county to approve the building plan and everything else would be done in six months," she recounted.
The construction being undertaken by Vaghjiyani Enterprises on a four-acre farm at Naiberi entered its fourth day Tuesday.
The company is also putting up another house for his parents in Chepsamo village.
The project continued at an accelerated pace on Tuesday, four days after construction started.
It is due for completion on Thursday before being handed over to the family.
Head of Public Service Felix Koskei and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen visited the family Sunday to condole over the loss.
They also inspected the ongoing construction works.
The body of Kiptum will leave Eldoret on Thursday for an overnight stay at his house as per tradition.
Kiptum who died at age 24 leaves behind two children; aged seven and four.
The body of his former coach Gervais Hakizimana was repatriated to Rwanda Saturday and set to be interred Wednesday.
Athletics Kenya Youth and Talent Management director Barnabas Korir said in Eldoret that a delegation will be sent to Rwanda to attend the funeral.
Kiptum and Hakizimana died in an accident in the Kaptagat area along the Elgeyo Marakwet-Ravine road on February 11.
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