Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei Dies After Being Set on Fire by Boyfriend
Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei Dies After Being Set on fire by Boyfriend
Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei has tragically died in kenya, four days after suffering severe burns inflicted by her boyfriend. The incident, which has shocked both the Ugandan and international sports communities, underscores a disturbing trend of gender-based violence in east Africa.
Cheptegei, a marathon runner who competed in the paris Olympics and finished 44th, was attacked by her partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, at her home in Endebess, Trans-Nzoia County. Reports indicate that Marangach doused Cheptegei with petrol and set her alight on Sunday. The 33-year-old athlete sustained burns covering 80 percent of her body and succumbed to her injuries at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) on thursday morning.
Her death has prompted an outpouring of grief and calls for justice. The uganda Olympic Committee President, Donald Rukare, condemned the act as “cowardly and senseless” and vowed that Cheptegei’s legacy would endure. The uganda Athletics Federation and the kenya National Olympic Committee have both issued statements mourning her loss and calling for an end to gender-based violence.
The case echoes previous tragedies, such as the 2021 murder of record-breaking Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop, highlighting ongoing issues with violence against women in the region. According to the kenya National Bureau of Statistics, 34 percent of women in kenya have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei has tragically died in kenya, four days after suffering severe burns inflicted by her boyfriend. The incident, which has shocked both the Ugandan and international sports communities, underscores a disturbing trend of gender-based violence in east Africa.
Cheptegei, a marathon runner who competed in the paris Olympics and finished 44th, was attacked by her partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, at her home in Endebess, Trans-Nzoia County. Reports indicate that Marangach doused Cheptegei with petrol and set her alight on Sunday. The 33-year-old athlete sustained burns covering 80 percent of her body and succumbed to her injuries at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) on thursday morning.
Her death has prompted an outpouring of grief and calls for justice. The uganda Olympic Committee President, Donald Rukare, condemned the act as “cowardly and senseless” and vowed that Cheptegei’s legacy would endure. The uganda Athletics Federation and the kenya National Olympic Committee have both issued statements mourning her loss and calling for an end to gender-based violence.
The case echoes previous tragedies, such as the 2021 murder of record-breaking Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop, highlighting ongoing issues with violence against women in the region. According to the kenya National Bureau of Statistics, 34 percent of women in kenya have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.