Rebecca Cheptegei, Ugandan Olympic Runner, Dies After Being Set On Fire By Ex-Boyfriend

Ugandan Olympic Marathon Runner Rebecca Cheptegei Passes Away After Being Set On Fire By Ex-Boyfriend

We’re reporting this with a saddened heart that Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, has died days after being doused in petrol and set on fire by her ex boyfriend.

The 33-year-old marathon runner, who competed in the recent Paris Olympics, reportedly suffered extensive burns after Sunday’s attack.

According to BBC, the authorities in north-west Kenya, where the deceased lived and trained, said she was targeted after returning home from church with her two daughters. Cheptegei‘s father, Joseph Cheptegei, said that he had lost a “very supportive” daughter.

The victim Rebecca Cheptegei, won the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand in 2022

James Kirwa, a fellow Ugandan athlete told the media outlet about her generosity and how she had helped out other runners financially.

A local administrator filed a report alleging that Rebecca and her ex-partner had been fighting over a piece of land. She is said to have bought a plot in Trans Nzoia county and built a house to be near Kenya’s elite athletics training centres.

There has been a drastic increase of attacks on women making it a major concern in Kenya. In 2022, an estimated 34% of women said they had experienced physical violence, according to a national survey. Police say an investigation is under way.

Kipchumba Murkomen, Kenya’s Sports Minister also reacted to the incident saying, “This tragedy is a stark reminder of the urgent need to combat gender-based violence, which has increasingly affected even elite sports.”

Rebecca’s father also asked the Kenyan government to ensure justice was done after the death of his daughter. “We have lost our breadwinner,” Mr. Cheptegei said, adding that he wondered how her two children, aged 12 and 13, would “proceed with their education.”