Heartbreak in Vivian Cheruiyot’s once blissful nest

It all started at the Lobo Village during the Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country meet when former athlete Abraham Kipkosgei Chelanga walked to greet Moses Kiplagat, Vivian Cheruiyot’s husband, who was watching the race alongside her.

There, a conflict arose between Cheruiyot and Chelanga, with the former denying the latter a chance to greet her husband. The two, Chelanga and Kiplagat have been friends for years now. In an audio recording, they were heard exchanging words in the noisy Lobo environment.

According to Chelanga, Cheruiyot asked him not to greet her husband because ‘they were not related in any way’. Chelanga now questions whether there is a section in the constitution that criminalizes people who are not related from greeting each other.

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But little did we know that this would be the first stone to the once blissful 18-year old marriage between the two, exposing the dirty linen beneath.

Chelanga then reported the incident to the Langas Police Station in Eldoret, claiming that Cheruiyot, a police officer, had threatened to shoot him for allegedly scouting young, petite, and attractive women for her husband in Eldoret and the surrounding area, a behavior Cheruiyot claims was ruining her marriage.

Cheruiyot further claimed that she wanted the children her husband sired with his first wife Caroline out of her house in Ilula, since their mother was alive, healthy and could take care of her own children. Kiplagat’s first wife Caroline was the chief starter at the Lobo World Cross Country Tour event.

Cheruiyot also claimed that for years now, Chelanga has been colluding with her husband to spend the money made from Cheruiyot’s businesses and sweat on young women in Eldoret.

The two (Cheruiyot and Chelanga) were summoned to Kapseret Sub-County police station to record statements, and it would be the day that some bitter words would be traded, between the couple (Cheruiyot and Kiplagat) and between Cheruiyot and Chelanga. Cheruiyot repeatedly accused Chelanga of misleading her husband effectively destroying her marriage.

Friends or family?

Things went south when Kiplagat sided with Chelanga, and accused Cheruiyot of arrogance, and ‘having social issues’. Kiplagat was heard defending their friendship with Chelanga, while Cheruiyot was protecting her family. Apart from being her husband, Kiplagat has been Cheruiyot’s manager and coach for years now and their marriage was admired by everyone.

Cheruiyot was furious that her husband chose to side with Chelanga, and did not protect him, yet all Chelanga was doing was misleading him and even threatened to beat him up.

“Chelanga is determined to ruin my marriage. Why should he follow my husband everywhere? Even after my husband saw Chelanga threatening to slap me at the Lobo Village, he did nothing to protect me, and later travelled together (Kiplagat and Chelanga) to the Kerio Valley for reasons I don’t know,” Cheruiyot claims.

The Pocket Rocket also revealed that the burden of raising her step kids was becoming too much and it was time for them to go back to their mother.

“My husband has left me with the burden of raising children from her previous marriage. I have paid for the children’s fees, one having completed college and another set to join university. It is now time for these children to go back to their mother.”

When we inquired on whether he threatened to shoot Chelanga on Saturday 4, Cheruiyot said that she did not threaten him; instead it was Chelanga who threatened to beat her up.

She also said that despite being a police officer, she had no gun whatsoever and would not hurt anyone even if she had a gun.

“I only said that I had a beef with him, but I did not say I will shoot him as he claims.” Cheruiyot revealed.

Kiplagat speaks

Cheruiyot's husband, Moses Kiplagat, accused his wife of being conceited and constantly reminding him how much she had contributed to his success.

He admitted that because Cheruiyot kept reminding him that the house they lived in was hers, he had to construct his own home.

“I am now more confident because I built my own house. I think my wife has a social problem. She should not discuss the issue of the children from my previous marriage because the children are innocent and just want to stay with their father. She should stop discussing children.”

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On whether he and his friend Chelanga were messing around with young women, Kiplagat said, “Chelanga can’t help me seduce young women. These days, I am an elder and I come home early to enjoy my tea.”

Despite that, Kiplagat accredits their wealth to Cheruiyot’s athletic prowess.

Vivian Cheruiyot is a four-time world champion in the 5,000 and 10,000m, and she recently announced her return to competition following a two-year maternity break during which she gave birth to a baby girl Jebiwott. She is now a mother of two; Allan Kiprono and Jebiwott, kids she sired with Moses Kiplagat.