On September 5th this week, Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei passed away at a hospital in Kenya at the age of 33. She suffered fatal injuries after her boyfriend poured gasoline on her and set her on fire, resulting in over 75% of her body being burned.
The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, a city in western Kenya, confirmed her death. The hospital spokesperson, Owen Menach, stated that the long-distance runner succumbed to organ failure on the morning of the 5th.
Less than a month before the attack, Cheptegei had participated in the women’s marathon event at the Paris Olympics, where she finished 44th.
Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, expressed to reporters at the hospital that he had lost a “very helpful” daughter.
The police commander of Trans-Nzoia County in Kenya, Jeremiah ole Kosiom, revealed that Cheptegei had an argument with her boyfriend Dickson Ndiema on Sunday, during which Ndiema poured gasoline on her and set her on fire. Ndiema also sustained burn injuries and is receiving treatment at the same hospital.
Ndiema remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit, with burns covering 30% of his body, but his condition is reported to be “improving and stable.”
Cheptegei’s parents mentioned that their daughter had purchased land in Trans-Nzoia County to be closer to multiple athletic training centers in the region. Prior to the incident, there were reports of arguments between Cheptegei and Ndiema regarding this land, as stated by the local police chief.
Ugandan Minister of State for Sports Peter Ogwang described Cheptegei’s demise as a “tragedy.” He emphasized that the Kenyan authorities are investigating the circumstances of her death and will provide a detailed report and strategy later on.
The Uganda Athletics Federation mourned Cheptegei on social media, stating, “With deep sorrow, we announce the untimely death of our athlete Rebecca Cheptegei this morning due to domestic violence. This federation condemns such acts and calls for justice to be served. May her soul rest in peace.”
Uganda Olympic Committee Chairman Donald Rukare condemned the attack as a “cowardly and senseless act that led us to lose a talented athlete.”
Although Cheptegei was a Ugandan athlete, she resided in Kenya and received training there. Kenya has witnessed several cases of athletes being killed or stabbed in recent years. Cheptegei became the third female athlete from Uganda to be killed since October 2021.
In 2022, Damaris Muthee, a Bahraini athlete born in Kenya, was found dead from suffocation, according to autopsy reports indicating she was strangled.
In October 2021, long-distance runner Agnes Tirop was stabbed to death at her home. Her husband, Ibrahim Rotich, was arrested and charged with murder. The case is still under investigation.
The killing of the 25-year-old woman shocked Kenya. Current and former athletes established the “Tirop’s Angels” organization in 2022 to address issues of domestic violence.