Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei dies in Kenya after being set on fire by her boyfriend

Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan Olympian, died in Kenya on September 5, 2024, after suffering severe burns in an attack by her boyfriend. Cheptegei was set on fire in her home in Endebess, Trans-Nzoia County, four days earlier and succumbed to her injuries at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH).

“We have learned of the sad death of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei… following a brutal attack by her boyfriend,” Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare said in a post on X. “This was a cowardly and senseless act that resulted in the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will live on,” he added.

Police identified the attacker as Dickson Ndiema Marangach, Cheptegei's partner. Marangach allegedly set Cheptegei on fire with petrol on a fateful Sunday, just weeks after she competed in the Paris Olympics marathon and finished 44th. Cheptegei suffered burns to 80 percent of her body and has been in critical condition since the attack.

“All her organs failed last night,” a doctor at the MTRH told AFP on Thursday.

Kenyan media reported further details from one of Cheptegei's daughters who witnessed the attack. “He kicked me while I was trying to rush to my mother's aid,” she said, according to Kenyan newspaper The Standard. “I immediately screamed for help and called a neighbour who tried to put out the flames with water but it was not possible,” added the daughter, whose name was not disclosed.

Marangach also suffered burns to 30 percent of his body in the incident. The Uganda Athletics Federation echoed the Olympic Committee's sentiments in its statement on X. “We are deeply saddened to announce the death this morning of our athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who was tragically a victim of domestic violence,” the message read. “As a federation, we condemn such acts and demand justice. May her soul rest in peace.” Cheptegei's tragic death has further brought the issue of domestic violence in Kenya to the forefront. This incident comes two years after the death of Kenyan-born athlete Damaris Mutua, who was found dead in Iten, a well-known running center in the Rift Valley. In addition, in 2021, 25-year-old Kenyan record-breaking runner Agnes Tirop was found stabbed to death in her home in Iten. Her estranged husband is currently on trial for murder and has denied the charges.

Recent statistics from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics as of January 2023 show that 34 percent of women in the country have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.

The sporting community and organizations continue to mourn the loss of Rebecca Cheptegei and demand justice for the violence that led to her untimely death.