Tragic Death of Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei
Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei has tragically passed away in Kenya just four days after being set on fire by her boyfriend, Ugandan athletics officials announced on Thursday. The 33-year-old athlete had suffered burns to 80% of her body and had been fighting for her life at a Kenyan hospital since the attack.
According to police, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, Cheptegei’s partner, allegedly doused her with petrol and set her alight on Sunday at her home in Endebess, Trans-Nzoia. The incident occurred just weeks after Cheptegei took part in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, where she placed 44th.
The Uganda Olympic Committee’s president, Donald Rukare, paid tribute to Cheptegei, calling the attack “cowardly and senseless” and stating that her legacy would continue to endure. Cheptegei’s daughter also witnessed the assault, saying she was kicked while trying to rescue her mother, and that a neighbor attempted to extinguish the flames with water but was unsuccessful.
Marangach, who was also wounded in the incident, sustained 30% burns on his body. The Uganda Athletics Federation condemned the attack and called for justice, while the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics reported that 34% of women in the country had experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
Cheptegei’s death is the latest in a string of tragic incidents involving Kenyan athletes. In 2021, record-breaking runner Agnes Tirop was found stabbed to death at her home in Iten, and in 2020, Kenyan-born athlete Damaris Mutua was found dead in the same town.
This devastating incident once again highlights the prevalence of domestic violence in Kenya, and the urgent need for action to protect women and athletes from such brutal attacks.
