Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics, tragically passed away from severe burns four days after her boyfriend allegedly poured gasoline on her and set her on fire, the Associated Press reports.
Cheptegei, 33, was admitted to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, with burns covering more than 75% of her body on Sunday. Despite efforts to save her, she succumbed to her injuries in the hospital’s intensive care unit. Owen Menach, the hospital’s senior director of clinical services, confirmed her passing early Thursday morning. “She passed away at 5:30 a.m. after her organs failed,” Menach told Reuters.
Uganda’s athletic community expressed profound grief over the loss. “We have learned of the sad passing of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei…following a vicious attack by her boyfriend,” Uganda Olympics Committee President Donald Rukare posted on social media, condemning violence against women. “May her gentle soul rest in peace, and we strongly condemn violence against women. This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure,” he continued.
Born and raised in Cheminy, Uganda, Cheptegei had been training in Trans-Nzoia County in western Kenya, where she had purchased land to support her training efforts. She made her Olympic debut in the 2024 Paris Games, finishing 44th in the women’s marathon. She began her career in 2010 and competed in 1,500 meters, 10,000 meters, half-marathons and marathons. She represented Uganda in the 2011 and 2013 World Cross Championships in Punta Umbria and Bydgoszcz, according to Kenyan newspaper The Standard.
Police reported that Cheptegei was attacked by her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, who allegedly broke into her home in western Kenya while she and her two children were at church, according to Kenyan and Ugandan news outlets.
“Upon her return, Dickson, who had acquired petrol, poured it on Rebecca before setting her on fire,” said Trans-Nzoia County police commander Jeremiah Ole Kosiom told The Star newspaper in Nairobi. “Neighbors managed to put out the fire and rushed both of them to the hospital.”
Ndiema also sustained burns in the attack, which authorities described as stemming from a domestic dispute. He remains in intensive care but is reportedly stable, according to the BBC.
Joseph Cheptegei, Rebecca’s father, shared that the two had been separated for some time and were involved in a land dispute over her property in western Kenya. They were due to appear before Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations, The Standard reported.
Kenyan Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen described her death as a loss “to the entire region.”
“This tragedy is a stark reminder that we must do more to combat gender-based violence in our society, which in recent years has reared its ugly head in elite sporting circles,” he said in a statement.