Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died, four days after a horrific attack in which her boyfriend allegedly set her on fire, according to Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare.
In a post on X, Rukare expressed deep sorrow over Cheptegei’s passing.
The 33-year-old marathon runner who recently competed in the Paris Olympics, was reported to be in critical condition in a Kenyan hospital following the attack. She had suffered severe burns from being doused with petrol and ignited by her former boyfriend. The incident occurred at her residence in Endebess, Kenya, where she had been training.
Concerns are rising about the increasing violence against female athletes in Kenya. Cheptegei was reportedly attacked after returning from church with her two children. Neighbors rescued her following the attack.
Local police chief Jeremiah ole Kosiom revealed that the assailant also suffered significant burns. The altercation, which occurred outside the couple’s home, involved the boyfriend pouring a flammable liquid on Cheptegei before setting her alight.
Cheptegei, who had recently invested in property in Trans Nzoia county to be closer to Kenya’s athletic facilities, was engaged in a dispute over the land with her partner, according to a local administrator. Police are investigating the case.
Both Cheptegei and her attacker are being treated at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. Dr. Owen Benach, the hospital’s senior director of clinical services, stated that Cheptegei, described as a “high-profile patient,” was heavily sedated due to the severity of her burns. The hospital is equipped to handle such critical cases.
Cheptegei’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, has called for justice for his daughter. In the recent Paris Olympics, Cheptegei finished 44th in the marathon and had previously won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022.
This tragic incident follows similar violence against female runners in Kenya. In April 2022, Damaris Mutua was found strangled in the Rift Valley town of Iten. Earlier, Agnes Tirop, a record-breaking long-distance runner, was murdered in the same town. Authorities have identified the partners of both victims as prime suspects; Tirop’s husband faces murder charges, while a search continues for Mutua’s boyfriend.
