Rebecca Cheptegei passed on while receiving treatment at Moi Teaching and Referal Hospital (MTRH) after the former husband allegedly doused her with petrol and set her ablaze over domestic squabble. The unfortunate incident took place in Endebes, Trans Nzoia County, Western Kenya, where the long-distance runner has been training.
The Standard reported that the husband, Dickson Ndiema, was also rushed to the hospital after sustaining serious burns from the petrol splashes. According to the Transzoia police commander, it’s believed that Ndiema sneaked into the compound on Sunday afternoon while the deceased and her children were away at a church service.
According to the doctor, Rebecca Cheptegei, who was taken to the hospital by her neighbors, suffered burns that were over 75% deep. She’s been in the Eldoret-based hospital, where she was admitted to the ICU under critical condition for the past four days since Sunday.
She met her untimely death at the age of 33 years. Cheptegei has been into athletics for the last 15 years of her life and participated in the Paris 2024 Olympic games in the women’s marathon.
It’s believed that a land dispute was the major boiling point to the demise of the athlete with the alleged husband. Cheptegei bought the land where she built her home and has been training with fellow athletes in western Kenya, according to the post by The Standard Kenya.
Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare has mourned Chepetgei as a great athlete whose legacy will continue to endure. He described her murder as “a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete.”
Team Kenya also expressed their condolences to the fellow athlete, the family, and the entire sports fraternity.
On their X (formerly Twitter) handle, Team Kenya described Rebecca Cheptegei as talented and perseverant, “Uganda’s Women’s Marathon record holder and a Paris 2024 Olympian who will always be remembered and celebrated.”
The two East African nations, Kenya and Uganda, have now lost three athletes to domestic violence since 2021. In 2021, Kenyan athlete Agnes Tirop was fatally stabbed by her spouse. In 2022, Damaris Mutua was by her boyfriend. Now, Ugandan Cheptegei has prematurely lost her life to domestic wrangles in 2024.
