Double Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge and 2007 steeplechase world champion Brimin Kipruto have defended their joint purchase of 120 acres of land from retired athlete Daniel Komen, telling the High Court in Eldoret that the transaction was above board.
Testifying before Justice Reuben Nyakundi, the athletes said Komen’s wife, Joyce Kimosop, was aware of the deal and had even received a Sh300,000 refund she had spent preparing the land before it was sold.
Kipchoge told the court he acquired 65 acres while Kipruto took 55, although the title deed indicates the two jointly own 150 acres.
The testimony quickly turned tense when Kipchoge accused Kimosop of burning down a caretaker’s house on the land.
Lawyer Patrick Kibii, representing Kimosop, challenged him saying, “You are making a serious allegation that my client committed an act of arson, which is criminal. Did you report it to police?”
Kipchoge admitted he had not, saying elders advised him against reporting because Komen was his friend.
“I am a person of integrity. When you look me in the eyes, you will know I am telling the truth—it was Kimosop who burned that house,” Kipchoge insisted. He added that although the title reflected 150 acres, 30 acres still belonged to Komen and would be returned.
Kimosop, a senior lecturer at Moi University, has sued her husband, Kipchoge, Kipruto and two other buyers—former Boston Marathon champion Felix Limo and businessman Peter Sang—arguing that the disputed 220-acre parcel was matrimonial property sold without her consent.
She contends that the land, valued at more than Sh300 million, was sold for just Sh10 million, a fraction of its true worth. In her court filings, she says the property was their only family home, purchased through joint effort, including loans she helped secure.
“My husband never mentioned the sale. I was shocked to find strangers occupying our land,” she told the court.
Komen, a former 3,000m world record holder, admitted he did not involve his wife in the sale, insisting the land belonged solely to him. “Yes, she is my wife, but I sold the land without involving her because it was mine,” he testified.
He said he bought the property from farmer Mzee Kwambai Chesire over two decades ago, using prize money from his international career and a local bank loan.
The retired runner confirmed selling 120 acres to Kipchoge and Kipruto, 50 acres to Felix Limo and 20 acres to Peter Sang. While conceding that he and his wife once took a joint loan to clear part of the purchase, Komen downplayed her contribution.
Kimosop maintains that as a spouse, she is entitled to equal rights over matrimonial property and has asked the court to declare the sale illegal, unconstitutional and void. She wants the judge to determine whether her exclusion violated constitutional protections and whether she is entitled to half of the property, costs and other reliefs.
The High Court is expected to decide not only on the validity of the sale but also on whether a wife’s consent is mandatory when dealing with matrimonial property—a ruling that could set a precedent in property disputes involving spouses.
