Female athletes and gender rights activists gathered in Eldoret for a significant procession to escort the body of athlete Rebecca Cheptegei. The event is part of a larger effort to combat femicide and gender-based violence (GBV), which has claimed the lives of several top athletes in recent times.
Human and women’s rights activists joined the march from Zion Mall to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) morgue. Cheptegei’s family will also be part of the procession, which will take her body from the morgue to their home in Endebes, Trans Nzoia.
The event was organized by the End Femicide Kenya Movement, a group advocating that being a woman should not be a death sentence. Female lawyers have also lent their support to the cause and will participate in the awareness procession in Eldoret.
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Lawyer Mercy Rutto expressed concern over the growing number of femicide and GBV cases, particularly those affecting female athletes. “We will take action to protect and uphold women’s rights to life, especially for athletes,” Rutto said.
The activists highlighted recent murders of athletes in the region, including Edith Muthoni, Damaris Mutua, Agnes Tirop, and most recently, Cheptegei. Cheptegei’s body will be transported to her home in Bukwo, Uganda, where she will receive a military burial by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) on Saturday.
