Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei burns to death at the hands of her ex-boyfriend.
Rebecca Cheptegei, pictured here last year, finished 44th in the Olympic marathon in Paris.
Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei passed away a few days after her ex-boyfriend doused her in gasoline and set her on fire. Following the assault on Sunday, the 33-year-old Ugandan marathon runner—who recently participated in the Olympics in Paris—suffered from severe burns. Cheptegei lived and trained in north-west Kenya; according to the municipalities, she became the target when she and her two girls came back from church.
Joseph Cheptegei, her father, announced that he had lost a "extremely loving" daughter. James Kirwa, a fellow racer from Uganda, spoke with the media about her magnanimity and how she had provided financial support to other runners.
The sportswoman and her ex-partner allegedly fought over a plot of land, according to a report submitted by a municipal official. According to police, an investigation is ongoing. Cheptegei, who is believed to have purchased a site in Trans Nzoia County and constructed a home close to Kenya's top training facilities for athletes, is thought to be from a region just across the line in Uganda. In Kenya, attacks on women have grown to be a serious problem. In 2022, a nationwide poll revealed that at least 34% of women reported having been victims of physical abuse. Kenya's Minister of Sports, Kipchumba Murkomen, stated, "This awful event is an important reminder of how critical it is to combat violence against women, which has progressively impacted even professional athletics."
Several UN organizations have also expressed their opinions on the matter. "We strongly denounce [Cheptegei's] horrific the crime of murder," UN general secretary Stephane Dujarric's spokesman is reported by the news organization AFP as saying. "We support the UN Demographic Fund and UN Women in that regard."
Talking to reporters outside the medical facility where she had received care, Mr. Cheptegei requested that the Kenyan government see to it that the passing of his daughter was handled justly. He went on, "We have lost our breadwinner," and expressed concern over how her two young children would "move on with their studies". At Moi Instruction and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Dr. Kimani Mbugua, a consultant physician, told the local media that although the athlete's injuries were treated to the best of their ability, she "had a severe rate of burns, which sadly led to multiple organ failure and which eventually led to her enacting this morning at 05:30 [02:30 GMT]".
Kirwa, who stopped by Cheptegei in the medical facility and had worked with her, told the BBC that Cheptegei "was a very affable person." When she returned from the Olympics, she got me footwear and supported us all out economically. To me, she resembled an elder sister." "We are devastated by the news of the death of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei, who tragically fell victim to domestic violence earlier this morning," the Ugandan athletics organization said in a post on X. We, the federation, denounce these actions and demand justice. May peace be upon her soul."
This breaks my heart. British Olympic sprinter Eilish McColgan said on X, "Even more heartbreaking that it's not the primary time the sports industry has lost such an amazing female athlete to domestic assault." Though his burns weren't as bad, Cheptegei's ex-boyfriend was also admitted to the Eldoret hospital. Although he is currently in intensive care, Dr. Owen Menach of Moi Hospital reported that his condition was "improving and stable". The pair was heard fighting outside their home, according to a local media comment from local police head Jeremiah Ole Kosiom. The boyfriend was spotted dousing the woman in liquid during the argument before setting her on fire.
"A brilliant athlete has lost his life due to this cruel and stupid conduct. Donald Rukare, the head of Uganda's Olympic commission, stated on X that "her legacy will endure." Her father expressed to reporters earlier in the week that he wished "for revenge for my daughter" and that he had never witnessed an act of such inhumanity. Plans were on, according to Uganda's Minister of Sports Peter Ogwang, to return Cheptegei's body to his own country for final resting. "As a nation, we grieve alongside the family," he said on media World Service's Newshour.
He continued by saying that during their time together at the Olympics, Cheptegei had requested to speak with him. "She [said she] had a family issue." Cheptegei placed 44th in the recent Olympics in Paris' marathon competition. At the 2022 World Hill and Trail Racing Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, she also took home the gold medal.
Her passing follows the murders of other East African competitors Agnes Tirop in 2021 and Damaris Mutua later that year; the authorities have named their spouses as the primary suspects in both crimes. While Mutua's lover is still being sought after, Tirop's husband is currently being investigated for murder, an allegation he contests. It's been a depressing day for me. Athletes have found it to be a depressing occasion as it brought back memories of the day Agnes was killed, Kenyan athlete Joan Chelimo told the media.
She added that Tirop's Angels was founded as a “wake-up call” in response to Tirop's murder to combat gender-based violence, and she is working with the organization. "As performers, we believe that we should band together to try to raise awareness and establish a space where women feel free to speak up." However, it is still increasing. Milcah Chemos-Cheywa, a Kenyan athlete who was in Paris with Cheptegei, expressed similar sentiments. She informed the news organization Reuters, "I can convey that we are still in surprise and we are in suffering, particularly with all the athletes and this thing happening in Kenya." "We are unhappy because, as we recall, Agnes Tirop's matter has now reached Rebecca."
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