How male athletes are silently battling gender violence

Kenyan Samson Kandie on his way to win the 21st Vienna City Marathon. (Courtesy,AFP)

Behind the triumphs and celebrations at the finish lines of well-oiled races across the world, many Kenyan athletics stars are battling Gender-Based Violence (GBV), silently.

It is emerging that inside the multi-million mansions they built with prize monies won in tough competitions, a number of athletes are weeping and looking to run away from abusive marriages and relationships.

Recently, women athletes have been victims of GBV and many of their cases like the killing of two-time world bronze medallist Agnes Tirop in October 2021, Damaris Muthee in 2022 and most recently Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei, have attracted local and global attention.

But male athletes are beginning to speak out about GBV, claiming that they too, are victims.

Men say domestic violence and abuse have driven some athletes into alcoholism, depression and deaths by suicide while others have been killed, just like their women counterparts.

For instance, former Vienna Marathon champion Samson Kandie was found dead at his home in the leafy suburb of Elgon View in Eldoret on October 4.

Shockingly, on November 12, 2024 the late Kandie’s widow Rose Chepkemboi became among three people who were charged with the murder of the retired athlete at the High Court in Eldoret.

Chepkemboi, alongside the other two suspects Jamlick Kiptoon and Vincent Ng’ososei pleaded not guilty to the brutal murder of the legend, when they appeared before Justice Reuben Nyakundi,

According to court papers, the widow and the two men jointly with others not before court are the suspected to have killed Kandie at his Elgon View home in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County in the night of October 3, 2024.

Steeplechaser Clement Kemboi died by what police suspected was by suicide last month, raising questions on what might have drove him into ending his life.

Back in 2021, athlete Hosea Macharinyang was found dead at his farm in Murkwijit in what was suspected to have been suicide.

Macharinyang won three consecutive team titles for the country out of his appearances at the World Cross Country Championships between 2004 to 2008.

Road race athlete Mike Kimutai narrated a case where a male athlete left his home in Iten for his village to avoid beating up his wife after he was constantly abused by the spouse.

He says the athlete in question reported a GBV case in one of the police stations but officers dismissed him and turned the serious matter into a joke.

“One male athlete was beaten by his wife but the police took it as a joke. It was just before Agnes Tirop was killed,” the athlete told the anti-GBV sensitization forum in Iten.

Kimutai said the male athlete went back to his village to avoid fighting his wife in retaliation.

“The police asked how a man was beaten by a wife. It appeared to me that the police couldn’t believe that men can’t be assaulted by their women partners,” he said.

Athletics coaches were asked to listen keenly to concerns about GBV whenever raised by the athletes they train.

“Some coaches don’t listen to male victims of GBV. They will dismiss cases and propose to address issues later on, after training,” Kimutai said. 

He went on to say: “We want more female coaches so that women athletes can open up to them on GBV.”

Nicholas Kibet, an upcoming athlete, said poverty was driving many young girls into abusive relationships with their male counterparts.

Kibet said budding talents who were yet to make breakthroughs in the sport were struggling with basic needs including food and shelter.

He asked the Ministry of Sports to explore ways to support rising stars achieve their dreams, saying government support will minimize cases of individuals taking advantage of young athletes.

“Poverty among athletes who are still is the biggest problem. Athletes are going without food and many of them cheat with different partners,”

Mike Kasitit, also based in Iten, told an anti-GBV forum at the training base that Clement Kemboi’s case remains fresh in their minds.

“Many Athletes, both men and women, are suffering due to GBV. They lack support as they rise to stardom,” he says.

Athletics Kenya executive member Elizabeth Keitany said GBV was the major cause of psychological challenges among the country’s athletes.

She said female athletes should report cases of sexual harassment by coaches.

Keitany however thanked coaches who were mentoring young athletes into responsible members of the society.

The executive member cited cases where some elite athletes have found themselves in marriages of convenience.

“Most female athletes don’t support their pacemakers. They dump them and turn other athletes as pacemakers and eventually they become husband and wife because they didn’t want to reward the pacemakers.

“They innocently allow men to register their properties, making it difficult to recover the property when they break up,” she told athletes in Iten.

 She went on to say: “GBV starts with a simple congratulatory message for running well and it turns to relationships and then the partner takes charge of your earnings.”

Athletics Kenya Chief Administrative Officer Susan Kamau asked young athletes to seek their parents’ support instead of depending on men in training bases.

“Don’t rush into relationships. If you do not earn money from athletics, return to your parents for support,” she said.