Four days after her boyfriend set her on fire, Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei of Uganda passed away in Kenya on Thursday, according to medical professionals and Ugandan athletics officials.
In the East African nation, where activists have warned of an epidemic of femicide, this was the most recent horrifying instance of gender-based violence.
“After a vicious attack by her boyfriend, we have learned of the sad passing of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei,” Donald Rukare, the president of the Uganda Olympic Committee, wrote in a post on X.
The loss of a great athlete was caused by this cowardly and senseless act. Her influence will live on forever.
At her Endebess home in the western county of Trans-Nzoia on Sunday, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, Cheptegei’s partner, doused her with gasoline and set her ablaze, according to police reports.
Only a few weeks had passed since Cheptegei, 33, competed in the marathon at the Olympics in Paris, finishing 44th.
The acting head of the facility where Cheptegei was receiving treatment told reporters on Tuesday that the attack left 80 percent of her body burned.
A medical staff member at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) informed AFP on Thursday that “all her organs failed last night.”
Cheptegei passed away at 5:00 am, according to a nurse who had been caring for her (0200 GMT).
On Wednesday, a medical counselor at the hospital reported that Cheptegei had acquired a sepsis infection and that her condition had gotten worse.
‘Call for justice’
The athlete received a barrage of tributes.
The Uganda Athletics Federation said on X, “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei, who tragically fell victim to domestic violence, early this morning.”
As a federation, we demand justice and denounce such behavior. I hope her soul finds peace.
The Ugandan sports community, Cheptegei’s family, and friends received the Kenya National Olympic Committee’s “deepest condolences” on X.
It stated, “Rebecca’s talent and perseverance as the record holder for the Ugandan women’s marathon and an Olympian in Paris 2024 will always be remembered and celebrated.”
“Her sudden and tragic death is a great loss, and we are praying for you during this trying time as we honor her memory and work to end gender-based violence.”
According to the police, Cheptegei and her kids were at church on Sunday afternoon when Marangach broke in.
Her father Joseph Cheptegei had told the Kenyan media that she lived in Endebess, close to the Ugandan border, with her sister and her two daughters.
‘I cried for help’
According to the Standard newspaper, Cheptegei’s daughters had seen the gruesome attack.
One of the girls was quoted as saying, “He kicked me while I tried to run to my mother’s rescue.”
The unnamed girl claimed, “I cried out for help immediately, attracting a neighbor who tried to extinguish the flames with water, but it was not possible.”
Marangach suffered 30% burns to his body as a result of the incident. We don’t know his condition right now.
They were a couple who “frequently had family wrangles,” according to the police.
Kenyan domestic violence has once again come to light as a result of the attack on Cheptegei.
After her death, feminist activist Njeri Wa Migwi, who also founded Usikimye, an organization that combats gender-based violence, declared, “Yes, this is femicide.” Femicide must be stopped.
The attack occurred two years after athlete Damaris Mutua, who was born in Kenya, was discovered dead in Iten, a well-known Rift Valley running destination.
Additionally, in 2021, record-breaking Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop, 25, was discovered dead from a stabbing at her Iten home. Her divorced husband is accused of killing her, but he has refuted the allegations.
According to the most recent data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, which was released in January 2023, 34% of the nation’s female population had been physically abused since the age of 15.
