Kenyan-born athlete found murdered in town in country's west -police

NAIROBI : A Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete has been found dead in a town in the east African country's west and the runner's Ethiopian boyfriend is a suspect in her killing, police said on Tuesday.

Damaris Muthee Mutua's murder follows the killing of another athlete in Kenya, Olympic runner Agnes Tirop, who was found stabbed to death at her home in the same town in October.

The body of Mutua, 28, who holds dual Kenyan-Bahraini nationality, was found decomposing in a house in Iten, Tom Makori, the town's police commander, told Reuters. Her Ethiopian boyfriend was a suspect, he added.

Iten, where both murders occurred, has a popular training base for long distance runners. The two murders have shone a spotlight on violence against women in the east African country.

"The body has been taken to a nearby hospital mortuary," Makori said.

Police was looking for Mutua's boyfriend, Eskinder Hailemaryam Folie, who had allegedly confessed to the killing, he said. He had been training at the same facility and has since fled Kenya, according to police.

"The suspect called a friend whom they were training together and informed him that he has killed a girlfriend and the body was in the house," Makori said.