Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan Olympic athlete, has died after being set on fire by her boyfriend in Kenya, according to the Uganda Olympic Committee chief. Donald Rukare confirmed the tragic news in a post on X, stating, “We have learnt of the sad passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei… following a vicious attack by her boyfriend.”
Cheptegei, 33, was being treated for severe burns covering 80% of her body at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, in Kenya’s Rift Valley. The hospital’s acting head had informed reporters on Tuesday of the extent of her injuries. “All her organs failed last night,” a medical official told AFP on Thursday.
Police identified Cheptegei’s partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, as the alleged attacker. Authorities reported that Marangach had doused Cheptegei with petrol and set her on fire during an altercation at her home in Endebess, located in Kenya’s Trans-Nzoia County, on Sunday.
The attack occurred just weeks after Cheptegei competed in the Paris Olympics, where she finished 44th in the marathon event. Kenyan media reported that one of Cheptegei’s daughters witnessed the assault. “He kicked me while I tried to run to the rescue of my mother,” the girl told The Standard. Despite her attempts to call for help, a neighbor’s efforts to extinguish the flames with water were unsuccessful.
Marangach sustained injuries during the attack, suffering burns on 30% of his body. The incident has drawn parallels to other high-profile cases of violence against female athletes in Kenya. In 2021, Kenyan athlete Agnes Tirop was found stabbed to death in her home, with her estranged husband currently on trial for her murder. Similarly, in 2022, Kenyan-born runner Damaris Mutua was found dead in the Rift Valley running hub of Iten.
A 2023 report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics revealed that 34% of women in the country have experienced physical violence since the age of 15. Cheptegei’s death highlights the ongoing issue of domestic violence in the region.
