Body of Gervais Hakizimana, the coach of late world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum, have been repatriated to his home country of Rwanda ahead of his upcoming funeral.
Video footage obtained by Citizen Digital shows a hearse carrying Hakizimana’s body from Eldoret Hospital, where it had been preserved since his passing a week ago.
His family had arrived in Kenya a few days prior to facilitate the move.
Hakizimana, along with Kiptum, tragically lost their lives in a road accident on Sunday, February 11, 2023.
Police reports indicate that the fatal crash occurred around 11pm on Sunday in the Kaptagat area along the Elgeyo Marakwet-Ravine road, resulting in their immediate demise.
On Friday, Hakizimana’s family rejected an autopsy report conducted on the deceased which highlighted that the marathon trainer died as a result of a head injury.
This is despite the fact that the findings were consistent with the police report on the car accident.
According to Hakizimana’s kin, the nature and degree of the marathon trainer’s injuries are inconsistent with the initial appearance of their kin moments after the tragedy.
The deceased’s niece Sandrine said: “When we viewed him, he did not have fractures at all. We therefore reject this report.”
The distraught subsequently asked the government to launch investigations into the death of their kin.
Kiptum, on the other hand, is set to be laid to rest next Saturday, February 24, 2024 at their family home in Kaptagat.
