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Olympic Marathon Runner Rebecca Cheptegei Tragically Dies After Boyfriend Sets Her on Fire Following Dispute
Rebecca Cheptegei, an Olympic marathon runner, has tragically passed away. Reports reveal her boyfriend set her on fire after a dispute. Read more.
Trigger Warning: This article contains gruesome details of violence, which could be triggering for some readers.
Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei died in a Kenyan hospital after suffering burns to 80% of her body due to an attack by her partner on Sunday.
The 33-year-old Cheptegei had been undergoing treatment at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret city. On Thursday, spokesperson Owen Menach confirmed her death.
In a post on X, Donald Rukare, president of the Uganda Olympics Committee, expressed his condolences, saying, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, following a brutal attack by her boyfriend. May her gentle soul rest in peace, and we strongly condemn violence against women. This senseless and cowardly act has claimed the life of a remarkable athlete whose legacy will endure."
Trans-Nzoia County police commander Jeremiah Ole Kosiom reported that on Monday, Cheptegei’s partner, Dickson Ndiema, had purchased a container of petrol, doused her with it, and set her on fire. “The couple was heard arguing outside their home, and during the confrontation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on her before igniting the fire,” Kosiom told the *Standard* newspaper in Kenya. Ndiema, who also suffered serious burns, was being treated at the same hospital as Cheptegei.
Ms. Cheptegei, a professional runner who placed 44th in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, died, sparking outrage and horror from women’s rights activists. These groups have consistently warned about the alarming rise in femicide in Kenya and other African nations. According to a report by Africa Data Hub, at least 500 women in Kenya were victims of femicide between 2016 and 2023, based on data collected from local media.
Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, revealed that they had been involved in a property dispute. He had previously alerted the police about Mr. Ndiema's threats toward his daughter and criticized the authorities for dismissing the issue, as he told reporters outside the hospital on Thursday.
Ms. Cheptegei earned her Olympic qualification after achieving her personal best in the 2022 Abu Dhabi Marathon, finishing in 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 47 seconds. She also won the 2022 Up and Downhill race at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand and secured fourth place in the half marathon at the 2024 African Games in Ghana.
Several other athletes have also fallen victim to femicide. In 2021, Kenyan star runner Agnes Jebet Tirop, who set a world record in the 10-kilometer race, was fatally stabbed in her home, and her husband was charged with her murder. A year later, Damaris Muthee Mutua, a Kenya-born athlete competing for Bahrain, was found strangled in Iten, Kenya.
Africa recorded the highest rate of gender-related killings in 2022, with the United Nations estimating that 20,000 women were killed on the continent, though the true number could be even higher.
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