Kiptum, 24, and his Rwandan coach Gervais Hakizimana were killed in the crash on February 11 near the town of Kaptagat in western Kenya.
Speaking at the funeral, Ruto praised Kiptum as an inspirational figure.
“In Kelvin, we saw the future of athletics in Kenya. Kelvin has stood out not just as a great athlete but as a great person... He was ambitious, disciplined and focused,” he said.
As a debutant at the 2022 Valencia Marathon, Kiptum had the fastest time. Last year, he won the London Marathon, where he set a new course record, before winning the Chicago race.
Earlier on social media, Kipchoge said he was deeply saddened by the sudden death of an athlete “who had a whole life ahead of him to accomplish incredible greatness.”
That feeling was echoed by one of Kenya’s fastest sprinters, Ferdinand Omanyala, who said the world lost Kiptum too soon.
“I was so touched by what happened because I can relate at how ambitious athletes are when they start doing professional athletics and how many goals they’ve set for themselves, so that's a very tragic thing that happened,” Omanyala told VOA.
Ordinary Kenyans have been mourning the runner's death for the last two weeks. Many paid their respects on Friday as Kiptum was laid to rest in a funeral in Naiberi, near his hometown of Chepkorio in western Kenya.
Brian Chebii, a resident of the runner’s home Elgeyo-Marakwet County, signed Kiptum’s condolence book for Athletics Kenya, the country’s sports governing body.
“Kelvin Kiptum … was a guy of capabilities ... running was his passion. He motivated us. That’s why when he passed away, it was a great pain for us,” he told VOA.
Messages in the book ranged from “Rest well, champ” to “The greats never die. They live in us and keep us going.”
Kiptum is survived by his wife Asentah Cheruto and their two children.
Ruto said Kiptum’s widow will be given $34,000 in government support as well as another house.
The president also said an endowment fund would be set up for athletes, as the country has lost several stars to tragic accidents in recent years.
Some information came from The Associated Press. This report was compiled by Leah Seyoum.
Forum