Uganda’s Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died four days after she was set on fire by her boyfriend, the country’s Olympic chief said.
“We have learned of the sad death of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei… following a brutal attack by her boyfriend,” Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) President Donald Rukare said in a post on X on Thursday.
The 33-year-old succumbed to burns she suffered when her boyfriend doused her with petrol and set her on fire in Kenya, making her the third female athlete to be killed in the country since October 2021.
“(Cheptegei) died of organ failure this morning,” Owen Menach, senior director of clinical services at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), told Reuters, adding that a full report on the circumstances of her death would be released on Thursday afternoon.
Peter Ogwang, Uganda’s Minister of State for Education and Sports, described her death as “tragic”.
“The Kenyan authorities are investigating the circumstances of her death and will provide a more detailed report and program in due course,” he said.
UOC chief Rukare described the incident as a “cowardly and senseless act” and said the country had been robbed of a “great athlete”.
“Her legacy will live on,” he added.
We have learned of the sad death of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei OLY following a brutal attack by her boyfriend. May her gentle soul rest in peace and we strongly condemn violence against women. This was a cowardly and senseless act that resulted in the loss of a… pic.twitter.com/V8Mog3oMOX
— Donald Rukare (@drukare) 5 September 2024
Cheptegei suffered burns to three-quarters of her body, the acting head of the MTRH in the Rift Valley city of Eldoret, where she was being treated, told reporters on Tuesday.
Police identified the accused as her partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, who doused Cheptegei with petrol and set her ablaze at her house in Endebess in western Trans-Nzoia County on Sunday.
The incident occurred just weeks after Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics, where she finished 44th.
The Uganda Olympic Committee called for swift action in a statement confirming Cheptegei’s death.
Our condolences go out to the family of the late Rebecca Cheptegei OLY who passed away this morning. May her gentle soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/2qgGKYZhbp
— NOC UGANDA | CGA UGANDA (@Official_UOC) 5 September 2024
“We call on the relevant law enforcement authorities to intervene swiftly and decisively to bring the perpetrator of this cowardly and deplorable act to justice.”
Cheptegei began her career in 2010, representing Uganda in various endurance races. Her first Olympic appearance came at the Paris Games.
Her parents travelled to Trans-Nzoia and told local media that their daughter had bought land in the Kenyan county and built a house where she lived during her education.
She met Ndiema in Trans-Nzoia and the attack arose from a dispute over the house she owned, according to a report in The Standard newspaper.
The Uganda Athletics Federation condemned the incident and described Cheptegei as a “victim of domestic violence”.
“We condemn such acts and demand justice,” said a post from the sports association.
Latest news💔💔
It is with deep sadness that we announce this morning the death of our athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who was tragically the victim of domestic violence. As a federation, we condemn such acts and demand justice. May her soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/ZdxmZ3wDuE— UGANDA ATHLETICS FEDERATION🇺🇬🇺🇬 UAF (@UgaAthletics2) 5 September 2024
Kenyan media reported that one of Cheptegei’s daughters witnessed the attack in her mother’s home.
“He kicked me while I was trying to help my mother,” Kenyan newspaper The Standard quoted her as saying.
“I immediately called for help and called a neighbor who tried to extinguish the flames with water, but it was not possible,” said the girl, whose name was not given.
Marangach was also injured in the incident and suffered burns to 30 percent of his body.
Cheptegei’s death highlights the violence faced by female athletes in Kenya. The attack came two years after Kenyan-born athlete Damaris Mutua was found dead in Iten, a world-famous running center in the Rift Valley.
And in 2021, 25-year-old record-breaking runner Agnes Tirop from Kenya was found stabbed to death in her home in Iten. Her estranged husband is on trial for murder. He denies the charges.
