World Marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum died due to severe head injuries as a result of the accident that claimed his life, is according to the latest postmortem results by chief government pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor on Wednesday.
Oduor said the examination of the body revealed that Kiptum suffered severe injuries and fractures on his head.
He said the fractures were on the skull, and ribs and also affected his lungs.
The chief pathologist says he was called in to do the postmortem due to speculation that arose after the death of the fastest marathoner on earth.
The government pathologist said the injuries were consistent with the accident
Oduor carried out a postmortem on the body of Kiptum at the Eldoret Hospital morgue.
The postmortem was done in the presence of Kiptum’s father Samson Cheruiyot and a team of homicide officers from the DCI headquarters.
After the postmortem exercise that took more than two hours, Dr Oduor briefed Kiptum’s family before addressing the media.
Oduor said they had taken samples from the body for toxicology analysis to help determine what may have caused the accident.
A family spokesman Philip Kiplagat said they were satisfied with the details of the postmortem and would proceed to bury Kiptum.
“As a family, we are satisfied and will proceed with the burial on Friday”, Kiplagat said.
Later in the evening hundreds of athletes are expected to carry out a procession and candle-lighting exercise in Eldoret to honour their fallen colleague.
Local leaders are also expected to attend.
The procession will begin at the Eldoret arboretum and end at the Nandi Park where the candle lighting will be done.
Kiptum along with his coach died a week ago in a road accident along the Eldoret-Ravine road.
Homicide officers from the DCI headquarters are investigating the cause of the accident.
Kiptum will be buried at his Farm near Naiberi in Uasin Gishu county on Friday.
The body will be removed from the morgue tomorrow and escorted through the streets of Eldoret on the way home ahead of burial.
The burial comes as the athlete’s new house is being put up after President William Ruto ordered the construction of the house at Kiptum’s farm located at Naiberi in Uasin Gishu county.
Engineers and workers have camped at the site to complete the new home before Thursday when the body will be removed from the Eldoret Hospital morgue.
“We are on schedule and will complete the house by Thursday,” one of the engineers at the site said.
