Ugandan Olympian And Athlete Dies After Being Set On Fire By Ex-Boyfriend

Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who competed in the recent Paris Olympics, has died days after an ex-boyfriend threw petrol and set her ablaze. Ms Cheptegei, 33, had been fighting for her life at a Kenyan hospital since Sunday when the horrific attack occurred near her home in Endebess, reported AFP. The attacker, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, also sustained serious burns.

Ms Cheptegi, who won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand in 2022, was rescued by neighbours after the incident, AFP reported. She suffered severe burns covering 75 per cent of her body. The attack occurred when Ms Cheptegei was returning from church with her two children, as per BBC.

"Dickson, who had procured petrol, began pouring (it) on Rebecca before he set her ablaze," a police report said late Monday, adding he was also injured by the flames.

Earlier, Dr Owen Benach, the senior director of clinical services at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, where both Cheptegei and her alleged attacker were being treated, told BBC that Ms Cheptegei was "fully sedated" due to the severity of her injuries.

The attack is a tragic example of the escalating violence against women in Kenya. According to the Kenyan Bureau of National Statistics, 34 per cent of women have experienced physical violence since the age of 15, with married women being more likely to suffer abuse.

This incident comes two years after the murder of Kenyan athlete Damaris Mutua and the stabbing death of record-breaking runner Agnes Tirop. In both cases, their partners are the primary suspects. Ms Tirop's husband is facing murder charges, while Ms Mutua's boyfriend remains at large.