Kenyan police announced that they had arrested two people in connection with the stabbing death of Ugandan athlete Benjamin Kiplagat over the weekend.

The two guys, both in their 30s, were apprehended on the outskirts of Eldoret town in Uasin Gishu County, according to local police chief Stephen Okal.

PHOTO | COURTESY suspects

"The two suspects are known criminals who have been terrorising the members of the public," Okal told the AFP news agency.

"We are in the advanced stage of the investigations and we will possibly be sending them to court tomorrow."

Kiplagat, born in Kenya, had previously represented Uganda in the 3,000m steeplechase at various Olympic Games and World Championships.

On Saturday night, the 34-year-old's body was discovered in a car with a significant knife wound to his neck.

While the motivation for the death remained unexplained, police claimed investigations revealed that Kiplagat had been "waylaid" by the two guys before crashing his car into their motorbike.

PHOTO | COURTESY suspects

"This probably provoked them into that violent act," Okal said of the stabbing.

He stated that one of the suspects had been apprehended carrying a knife thought to have been used in the crime.

Eldoret is well-known for housing many athletes who train at high altitudes.

Kiplagat won a silver medal in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2008 World Junior Championships and a bronze medal at the Africa Championships in 2012.