Kenyan athlete Joan Jepngetich, who tragically died in a road crash in the United States on December 26, will be buried on Tuesday next week.
The 22-year-old’s body was flown back to Kenya on Thursday night, where it was received by her family, friends, and Athletics Kenya (AK) officials.
Speaking at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), AK’s Chief Administrative Officer, Susan Kamau, expressed gratitude to those who worked tirelessly to bring Jepngetich’s body home.
She assured the family that AK would stand with them during the preparations for a dignified burial.
Jepngetich died when the vehicle she was in veered off the highway in Barstow, Galesburg, and crashed into a tree. She passed away at the scene, while two other passengers — a 22-year-old man and woman — later died in hospital.
Last year, Jepngetich left her rural home in Chebarbar, Kapsabet, on a scholarship to Iowa Central Community College.
She later transferred to Carl Sandburg College, where she was studying nursing at the time of her death.

Joan Jepngetich’s family receiving her body at JKIA.
While at college, Jepngetich competed in the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) events, setting personal bests of 2:39.49 in the 800m, 5:16.60 in the 1500m, and 19:29.46 in the 5000m.
Her final race was at the NJCAA Division II Cross Country Championships on November 11, where she placed 64th in the women’s race with a time of 20:32.2.
Just a month before, she had helped the Sandburg women’s cross-country team secure a victory at the Arrowhead Conference Championships in Kishwaukee, finishing second in 22:03.3.