Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei tragically passed away on Thursday after suffering severe burns in a horrific gender-based violence attack.
Cheptegei, 33, was doused with petrol and set on fire by her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, in her home in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya. She succumbed to her injuries at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, where doctors said she had suffered burns covering over 80 percent of her body, leading to multiple organ failure.
The shocking attack has drawn widespread condemnation from the global athletics community and women’s rights organizations. Cheptegei had recently competed in the women's marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympics, finishing in 44th place. Her two young daughters reportedly witnessed the assault, with one trying to intervene but being kicked away by the attacker.
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Marangach, who also sustained burns in the incident, reportedly hid on the property before launching the attack. Cheptegei’s father has called for justice, revealing that the couple had frequent disputes, mainly due to property disagreements.
This tragedy adds to the growing concern over rising femicide and domestic violence in Kenya. Activists, including Tirop’s Angels, founded after the murder of Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop in 2021, are calling for more action to address this alarming trend.
Kenyan Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen and the Paris Olympics Committee both condemned the crime, with Murkomen urging for more robust measures against gender-based violence.
According to a report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, 34 percent of women in Kenya have faced physical violence since the age of 15, and the country recorded 725 femicide cases in 2022.
