NAIROBI (AFP, REUTERS) - The husband of Kenyan distance running star Agnes Tirop appeared in court on Monday (Oct 18) as a suspect in her killing, and was remanded in custody for almost three weeks.

It was his first appearance before the court in the Rift Valley town of Iten, close to the home they shared.

Ibrahim, commonly known as Emmanuel, Rotich, was arrested last week in the coastal town of Mombasa after a dramatic late-night chase. Police say he was trying to flee the country.

"The suspect will remain in police custody for 20 days to enable police to complete the investigations into the murder," Iten chief magistrate Charles Kutwa said.

"He will also be taken for mental assessment."

Police told the court they would use the time to complete investigations.

Neither Rotich, nor his representatives, have made any public comments on the case.

Tirop, 25, was found stabbed to death in their home in Iten, western Kenya, last Wednesday, a killing that shocked the nation and the world of athletics.

Widely considered a rising star, she died a month after she broke the women's 10km world record in Germany. On Oct 3, she had finished second in the Giants Geneva 10K race. She was fourth in the 5,000m at the Tokyo Olympics.

She also claimed bronze medals at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships in the 10,000m, and won the 2015 World Cross-Country Championships.

Rotich, said by police to be aged about 41, had been expected to appear in court last Friday, but the hearing was postponed as officials decided where the case against him should be held.