Athlete Rebecca Cheptegei dies after being set ablaze by boyfriend

Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has passed away, just days after her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, allegedly set her on fire.

Cheptegei, who resided in Kenya, had represented Uganda in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she finished 44th in the women’s marathon.

Authorities reported that the tragic incident took place at her home in Western Trans Nzoia County, Nairobi, on Sunday.

It is alleged that the couple had a domestic dispute during which Ndiema doused Cheptegei in petrol and set her alight, resulting in severe burns covering 75% of her body.

Ndiema also suffered burn injuries and was undergoing specialized treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.

The attack is believed to have been triggered by a disagreement over land ownership, with Cheptegei’s parents stating that she had purchased the land to be closer to the region’s famed athletic training centers.

Her death comes three years after the murder of Kenya’s Agnes Tirop, who was found stabbed to death in her home in Iten in 2021, with her husband being the main suspect.