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Ugandan Athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei, who competed in the Paris Olympics 2024 died on September 5, after being splashed in petrol and burned by her boyfriend.
The 33-year-old athlete who lived in Kenya had been in a critical condition after suffering burns on 75% of her body from the attack at her house in the western Trans Nzoia County. Her death was also confirmed on the social media platform X by the Kenyan Olympic Team.
Trans Nzoia County police commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said that the athlete had been splashed with petrol by her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, who stormed her house with can of petrol and set fire to her after a disagreement over land.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence. As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest In Peace”, Uganda Athletics Federation said in a post.
Her father, Joseph, blamed the Kenyan government and police for failing to prevent her death. He told the journalist “I blame her death on negligence by the government because the authorities should have taken it seriously when we first reported that this man had become problematic and he was fighting her. We reported to the police, to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations but they didn’t take any action to save her life”.
This is the third death of a female athlete in the past few years in Kenya, and this is caused an he urgent need to address femicide. "This tragedy is a stark reminder of the urgent need to combat gender-based violence, which has increasingly affected even elite sports," Kenya's Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said.