Uganda’s star athlete Rebecca Cheptegei passed on earlier today due to severe burns to her body that she sustained after her boyfriend set her on fire out of anger.
The tragic event has left many fans including Ugandans with a broken heart after news broke out that one of the country’s star athletes, Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, had sustained serious wounds to her body after her lover decided to take her life.
Reports state that Rebecca was returning from church on that fateful when neighbours overheard two people arguing. Neither did any of them know that things were about to take a deadly turn when witnesses saw a man pour liquid all over Cheptegie’s body before setting her on fire.
The fateful incident occurred in her home in Trans Nzoia County, Kenya, where she had been living and training. Cheptegei, who recently competed in the women’s marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympics, suffered severe burns over 80% of her body.
The savage and senseless attack was allegedly carried out by her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, during a heated argument. It’s reported that Ndiema ambushed Cheptegei on her way home from church with her two daughters pouring petrol on her and setting her ablaze.
Rebecca Cheptegei died from severe burns
After the incident, Cheptegie was rushed to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, where she was receiving intensive care treatment for her burns. However, sadly, she died while the medical team was planning on transferring her to Nairobi for specialised treatment.
Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, said that he had lost a “very supportive” daughter. Fellow Ugandan athlete James Kirwa told the BBC about her generosity and how she had helped out other runners financially. Cheptegei, from a region just across the border in Uganda, is said to have bought a plot in Trans Nzoia county and built a house to be near Kenya’s elite athletics training centres.
Attacks on women have become a major concern in Kenya. In 2022 at least 34% of women said they had experienced physical violence, according to a national survey.
Rebecca Cheptegei’s tragic death has been a significant loss to the sports world and her home country. Social media users sent their condolences to the bereaved family, with many calling for justice. Many took to social media to send their condolences to her family while others condemned the act, calling for immediate justice against Ndiema for taking the cherished life of Cheptegei so suddenly.
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