The family of athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has shared more details about the tragic day when she was attacked and doused with petrol. Her father, Mzee Joseph Cheptegei, explained that his daughter was caught off guard during the attack, which ultimately led to her death. He revealed that Cheptegei’s lover, Dickson Ndiema, had been hiding in the home, planning the assault.
Speaking at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary, where the family collected her body for burial, Mzee Cheptegei expressed his grief, saying, “Her death has robbed me of my daughter, on whom we all depended.”
The attack took place at Cheptegei’s home in Trans Nzoia, where Ndiema poured petrol on her and set her on fire, also sustaining injuries in the process. Cheptegei suffered burns covering more than 80 percent of her body, while Ndiema sustained over 30 percent burns.
Cheptegei will be laid to rest on Saturday in Uganda, where she will receive a military burial. Ndiema, who had been admitted to the ICU at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, died a few days after Cheptegei passed away. His death occurred on Monday night, as confirmed by the hospital.
