The family of a Ugandan athlete who died in Kenya after allegedly being set on fire by her former boyfriend has called for justice and legal action against the culprit.
“I have a lot of grief because I’ve lost my daughter. I seek your help so that this person who has killed my daughter can be prosecuted,” Joseph Cheptegei, the father of Rebecca Cheptegei, told reporters at the hospital where she died.
Cheptegei, a long-distance runner who took part in the 2024 Paris Olympics, was in intensive care after her former boyfriend, Dickson Marangach, allegedly doused a jerrycan of petrol on her in her house in western Kenya and set her on fire, causing more than 80% burns. The incident happened on Sunday afternoon in Endebess town, Trans-Nzoia county, police said.
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Before the incident, the pair had been heard fighting over the land on which the house lies, according to a report filed by the area chief. Marangach suffered less burns in the incident, and both were receiving specialised treatment at the Moi teaching and referral Hospital in Eldoret city.
Cheptegei died due to multiple organ failure, Dr Kimani Mbugua, a consultant at the hospital, told journalists. “Most of her systems actually failed following the burns,” he said. “The damage had already occurred by the time she was coming in. So we supported the organs as best as we could. But unfortunately, it was beyond what we could do.”
Cheptegei, 33, was part of the 25-member Ugandan team to Paris. She finished 44th in the women’s marathon in Paris. She qualified for the Olympics after reaching a personal best of 2:22:47 at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Marathon.
Her death has been met with shock in both her home country, Uganda, and Kenya, where she trained. Uganda’s sports minister, Peter Ogwang, termed the death “tragic, adding that Kenyan authorities are carrying out an investigation, while the country’s first lady, Janet Museveni, described the news as “deeply disturbing”.
“My heartfelt condolences go out to the athletics community, her family, friends, and the entire nation on the loss of our Olympian,” she said.
Cheptegei’s death has also turned a renewed spotlight on violence against female athletes and women in general in Kenya. In October 2021, Kenyan long-distance runner Agnes Tirop was stabbed to death at her home in Iten town in Elgeyo-Marakwet county. The following year, Damaris Mutua, a Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete, was found dead at her boyfriend’s home in the same town, with a postmortem report recording that she had been strangled. In both cases, police identified their partners as the prime suspects.
Violence against women is a common problem in Kenya, where a 2022 survey found that 34% of girls and women age 15 to 49 had experienced physical violence since they were aged 15.
Gender-based violence is rife in Kenya because many cases don’t get the attention they require in court, and so most people feel that they can get away with it, said Njeri wa Migwi, the co-founder of Usikimye, a nonprofit that works with victims of gender-based violence.
Kenyan society, she said, needs to stop looking at gender-based violence as an accepted social ill and instead look at it as a crime. “In all honour of the death of Rebecca Cheptegei, this should not have happened. This should not continue to happen,” Migwi said.
In their reaction to Cheptegei’s death, many prominent figures have referenced the problem. Donald Rukare, the president of the Uganda Olympic Committee, said: “May her gentle soul rest in peace and we strongly condemn violence against women. This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure.”
Kenya’s sports minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, stated: “This tragedy is a stark reminder to combat gender-based violence in our society, which in recent years has reared its ugly head in elite sporting circles. As a government, we remain committed to supporting justice for Rebecca. No one should have to go through such an ordeal.”
Cheptegei leaves behind two daughters.