Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan Olympian, has passed away in Kenya four days after being set on fire by her boyfriend, Ugandan athletics officials confirmed on Thursday.
“We are saddened to announce the tragic loss of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei following a brutal attack by her partner,” Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare shared on X. He called the incident a “senseless act” that has robbed the sports world of a remarkable athlete, noting that her legacy will live on.
Cheptegei’s partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, allegedly doused her with petrol and set her on fire at her home in Endebess, Kenya, on Sunday. The 33-year-old athlete, who had recently competed in the Paris Olympics, suffered burns on 80 percent of her body and succumbed to her injuries on Thursday after battling for her life at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.
A witness to the horrific event was one of Cheptegei’s daughters, who tried to help her mother but was unable to stop the flames. “He kicked me as I tried to save my mom,” the young girl told Kenya’s The Standard.
Marangach, who sustained 30 percent burns during the incident, was also injured.
The Uganda Athletics Federation condemned the attack and called for justice, describing the incident as a tragic example of domestic violence, a persistent issue in the region. This comes in the wake of similar tragedies in Kenya, including the deaths of athletes Agnes Tirop and Damaris Mutua in recent years.
Domestic violence remains a serious concern in Kenya, where 34 percent of women have reported experiencing physical violence since the age of 15, according to 2023 statistics.
