A Ugandan athlete living in Kenya, Rebecca Cheptegei, was attacked and set on fire by her boyfriend, leaving her with burns covering 75% of her body.
Cheptegei, a distance runner who placed 44th in the 2024 Paris Olympics, was assaulted in her home in Trans Nzoia County. As of Tuesday, she was in critical condition, according to reports.
Trans Nzoia County Police Commander, Jeremiah ole Kosiom, stated that Cheptegei’s boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, poured petrol on her and set her ablaze during a Sunday argument. Both Cheptegei and Ndiema sustained burn injuries and are being treated at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
A staff member from the hospital, who requested anonymity, confirmed that Cheptegei’s condition is serious, with significant facial burns. The police report did not mention if Cheptegei’s children were harmed in the incident.
Cheptegei’s parents revealed that she had purchased land in Trans Nzoia to be close to the region’s athletic training centers. A local chief’s report indicated that the couple had been arguing about the land before the attack.
The Ugandan Athletics Federation expressed deep regret over the incident, noting that Cheptegei had suffered severe injuries due to her boyfriend’s actions. The federation released a statement on social media addressing the attack.
This incident is part of a disturbing trend of gender-based violence in Kenya.
A report from the Kenyan Bureau of National Statistics in January 2023 found that 34% of women in Kenya have faced physical violence since the age of 15, with married women being more likely to experience such violence.
The attack on Cheptegei follows the murders of Kenyan-born athletes Damaris Mutua and Agnes Tirop in recent years. Mutua was found dead in Iten in 2022, and Tirop was found stabbed to death in her home in 2021. Tirop’s estranged husband, Emmanuel Ibrahim Rotich, is currently on trial for her murder.
