The athlete Rebecca Cheptegei He died prematurely this Thursday, September 5. The 33-year-old athlete -who competed in the Paris Olympics, was hospitalized with 80% of her body burned after being doused in gasoline, allegedly by her boyfriend, fellow athlete Dickson Ndiema.
“Unfortunately, we lost her after all her organs failed last night,” said Owen Menach, acting director of Moi University and Eldoret Referral Hospital in western Kenya.
The incident occurred last Sunday in the Kenyan county of Trans Nzoia (west), from where the 33-year-old athlete was rushed to the aforementioned hospital with burns over 80% of his body.
Ndiema, Cheptegei’s partner who competed in the Paris 2024 Olympics, sneaked into Cheptegei’s house in Trans-Nzoia County on Sunday, September 1, and waited for her and her children to return home. Ndiema then allegedly doused her with petrol and set her on fire.
The FUganda Athletes Federation (UAF) confirmed the sad news on its official X account, formerly known as Twitter: “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei, early this morning, who was tragically the victim of domestic violence. As a federation, we condemn such acts and demand justice.
