Ugandan Olympic Athlete Rebecca Cheptegei Dies After Attack, Suspect Succumbs to Burns

Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan Olympic athlete, has died after being set on fire by a man accused of dousing gasoline on her. The suspect, Dickson Ndiema, has succumbed to his own burns sustained during the attack. According to the Moi Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, where Ndiema was being treated, he had 30% of his body covered in burns.

The hospital spokesperson, Owen Menach, confirmed the patient’s death, although a formal statement is expected to be released later. The attack occurred last week, with Cheptegei dying on Thursday after suffering 80% burns.

The motive behind the attack was reportedly a dispute over a piece of land in Kenya’s Trans Nzoia county, near the country’s many athletic training centers. Cheptegei’s parents stated that their daughter had purchased the land, and the suspect, Ndiema, was her former boyfriend. Ndiema’s actions were allegedly motivated by a desire to harm the athlete and her family, with Cheptegei’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, saying that Ndiema had been stalking and threatening her.

In a statement last week, Joseph Cheptegei expressed his concern that the suspect was not being properly guarded at the hospital, fearing that Ndiema might escape and continue to pose a threat to his family. The athlete’s funeral is scheduled to take place on Saturday at her home in Uganda.

Cheptegei had competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics just a month prior to the attack, finishing in 44th place. Her death has sent shockwaves through the athletic community, and her family and friends are left to mourn the loss of a talented and dedicated athlete.