Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei has passed away in Kenya, four days after her boyfriend allegedly set her on fire, Ugandan athletics officials announced on Thursday.
“We have learnt of the sad passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei… following a vicious attack by her boyfriend,” the president of the Uganda Olympic Committee Donald Rukare said in a post on X.
“This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure,” he added.
According to police, a man identified as Cheptegei’s partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, allegedly poured petrol on her and set her on fire at her home in Endebess, located in the western county of Trans-Nzoia, on Sunday.
The attack occurred just weeks after 33-year-old Ugandan Olympian Cheptegei competed in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, where she finished 44th.
Cheptegei sustained burns covering 80 percent of her body and had been battling for her life in a Kenyan hospital, the acting head of the facility told reporters on Tuesday.
“All her organs failed last night,” a medic at the facility, the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), told AFP on Thursday.
Kenyan media reported that one of Cheptegei’s daughters was present and witnessed the assault at her mother’s home.
“He kicked me while I tried to run to the rescue of my mother,” Kenya’s The Standard reported her as saying.
“I immediately cried out for help, attracting a neighbour who tried to extinguish the flames with water, but it was not possible,” said the girl, who has not been named.
Marangach was also injured in the incident, suffering burns to 30 percent of his body.
— ‘We call for justice’ —
The Uganda Athletics Federation confirmed Cheptegei’s death in a statement on X.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence,” it said.
“As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest in peace.”
The attack on Cheptegei has once again brought domestic violence in Kenya into the spotlight.
This incident comes two years after Kenyan-born athlete Damaris Mutua was found dead in Iten, the renowned running hub in the Rift Valley.
In 2021, 25-year-old record-breaking Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop was also found fatally stabbed at her home in Iten. Her estranged husband, currently on trial for her murder, has denied the charges.
According to the latest figures from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, published in January 2023, 34 percent of women in Kenya have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
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