The Ugandan Marathoner Rebecca Cheptegei 33, died from burns sustained after being attacked by her partner, the president of the Ugandan Olympic Committee announced, four days after the man set her on fire in Kenya. “We have learned of the sad passing of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei following a violent attack by her boyfriend. May her soul rest in peace and we strongly condemn violence against women,” Donald Rukare wrote on X, deploring “a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete.” Cheptegei had been in intensive care in a Kenyan hospital after being doused with petrol and set on fire by her partner. Police said the athlete had been attacked after theHis Kenyan partner Dickson Ndiema Marangach He broke into her home in Endebess, Trans-Nzoia West County, around 2pm last Sunday, taking advantage of the fact that the woman and her children were in church.
“Marangach, who had obtained petrol, began pouring it on Rebecca before setting her alight,” according to the police, adding that the man was also caught in the flames. Neighbours rescued the couple, who were taken to the nearby Kitale County Referral Hospital: the two, admitted with “multiple burns”, were then transferred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital where Cheptegei had been transferred to the intensive care unit since Monday. The athlete and Marangach reportedly had constant family disputes. Cheptegei placed 44th in the marathon at the Paris Olympics.