Olympic Runner Rebecca Cheptegei Dies After Brutal Attack by Ex-Boyfriend

Jephthah Nana Adjei Osei - Mensah
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Olympic Runner Rebecca Cheptegei Dies After Brutal Attack by Ex-Boyfriend
Rebecca Cheptegei
Written By : Afua Amankwanowa

Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died after being doused in petrol and set on fire by a former boyfriend. The 33-year-old Ugandan marathon runner, who competed in the recent Paris Olympics, suffered severe burns from the attack on Sunday.

Authorities in north-west Kenya, where Cheptegei lived and trained, reported that she was attacked after returning home from church with her two daughters. A local administrator suggested the dispute between the athlete and her ex-partner was over a piece of land. Police are currently investigating the case.

Concerns are rising over the increasing violence against female athletes in Kenya, with Cheptegei being the third to have been killed since October 2021. Speaking to the press outside the hospital where she was treated, her father, Joseph Cheptegei, expressed his grief, describing her as a “very supportive” daughter and urging the Kenyan government to ensure justice is served.

Dr. Owen Menach, head of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, confirmed that Cheptegei died after multiple organ failure. Uganda’s athletics federation expressed their sorrow in a statement on X, condemning the act of domestic violence and calling for justice.

Cheptegei’s former boyfriend, who also sustained burns but less severe, remains in intensive care, with his condition reported as stable. According to local police chief Jeremiah ole Kosiom, witnesses saw the couple arguing outside their home before the boyfriend poured a liquid on Cheptegei and set her on fire.

Originally from Uganda, Cheptegei had purchased land in Kenya’s Trans Nzoia county and built a house to be close to athletic training centers. Uganda’s Olympic committee head, Donald Rukare, condemned the “cowardly and senseless act” and paid tribute to Cheptegei’s legacy.

Cheptegei had finished 44th in the marathon at the Paris Olympics and won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand in 2022. Her death follows the murders of fellow East African athletes Agnes Tirop in 2021 and Damaris Mutua in 2022, with both cases involving their partners as prime suspects.

Kenya’s Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen called the tragedy a reminder of the urgent need to address gender-based violence, which has increasingly affected even elite athletes. 

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