It has been claimed that a Ugandan athlete who competed in the 2024 Olympics in Paris has passed away after being set on fire by her fiance in Kenya.
On Sunday, September 1, her boyfriend allegedly doused her in gasoline and set her on fire at her home in Trans Nzoia County in western Kenya, according to the Associated Press, BBC News, and ESPN. Rebecca Cheptegei, a distance runner, suffered burns on her body that were 75 percent, as reported by PEOPLE. Cheptegei was 33 years old at the time of the incident.
Several local publications, including the Daily Nation, The Standard, and The Star, stated on Thursday, September 5, that Cheptegei had passed away as a result of the injuries she sustained.
Dr. Owen Menach, who is the Director of Clinical Services and Surgery at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, verified the tragic news and said that the athlete passed away at around five o’clock in the morning local time due to “full organ failure.” This information was reported by the Nation.
In addition, a member of the family named Dr. Tony Sabila verified to Nation Sport that Cheptegei had ultimately passed away.
“It is true that we lost our sister this morning although the doctors tried to save her life and I was there personally,” Sabila said to reporters.
On X, which was then known as Twitter, the Uganda Athletics Federation was the first to write a tribute to Rebecca Cheptegei, saying, “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence.”
“We, as a federation, disapprove of such actions and demand that justice be served. The message came to a close with the phrase “May her soul rest peace.”
Jeremiah ole Kosiom, the Commander of the Trans Nzoia County Police, said on Monday that the assault took place amid a disagreement between Cheptegei and her partner Dickson Ndiema. With this new information, the situation has been brought to light.
It was reported by the BBC that he informed media that the couple had been heard arguing outside of their private residence. In the course of the dispute, it was seen that the boyfriend poured a substance over the lady before setting her on fire.
In addition, Ndiemma suffered severe burns as a result of the fire. The two individuals were kicked out of their homes by their neighbors and sent to MTRH for specialist medical care.
According to a report that was submitted by the local police and acquired by the Associated Press, the couple was given the description of having been heard fighting over the property that the house was constructed on before to the event.
According to Kosiom, who spoke with The Standard, “[Ndiema] is believed to have sneaked into the compound at approximately 2:00 p.m. on Sunday while the wife and the children were currently attending church.” Dickson, who had obtained gasoline, started pouring it over Rebecca as soon as he returned, and then he lit her fire.
In the marathon competition that took place at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in August, Cheptegei finished in 44th position. In the past, she had triumphed in the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022, where she had won the gold medal.
