Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, is fighting for her life in a Kenyan hospital after a horrific attack allegedly carried out by her former boyfriend.
The incident occurred on Sunday in the small town of Endebess, located in Trans Nzoia County, where Cheptegei had been training following her participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
On the afternoon of September 1, 2024, a violent altercation broke out between Cheptegei and her former boyfriend, identified as Dickson Ndiema. According to local police reports, Ndiema allegedly sneaked into Cheptegei’s compound while she and her children were at church. Upon their return, a quarrel erupted between the two. Ndiema, who had reportedly brought a can of petrol with him, doused Cheptegei with the flammable liquid and set her on fire.
Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah Ole Kosiom stated, “The couple were heard quarrelling outside their house. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her.”
Cheptegei sustained burns covering over 75% of her body. She was rescued by neighbors who rushed to the scene and extinguished the flames before both she and Ndiema, who also suffered serious burns, were taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
The root of the conflict is believed to be a dispute over a piece of land that Cheptegei had purchased in Trans Nzoia County. Reports indicate that the couple had been wrangling over the ownership of the land and the house that Cheptegei had built there.
Rebecca Cheptegei is currently in critical condition at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. Doctors are working around the clock to treat her extensive injuries. Ndiema, who is also being treated at the same hospital, remains under police guard as investigations continue.
Rebecca Cheptegei is an accomplished athlete from Uganda who recently represented Uganda in the women’s marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympics, finishing 44th.
In addition to her Olympic participation, Cheptegei secured a gold medal at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022. Her dedication to her sport led her to settle in Kenya, where she could benefit from the country’s renowned athletic training centers.
This shocking incident has drawn attention to a disturbing pattern of violence against athletes particularly female athletes in Kenya. In April 2022, Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Mutua was found strangled in Iten, a town in the Rift Valley region.
This followed the tragic death of Agnes Tirop, a record-breaking long-distance runner, who was stabbed to death in the same town just months earlier.
Additionally, in December 2023, another Ugandan athlete, Benjamin Kiplagat, was found dead with stab wounds in Eldoret.
The Ugandan Athletics Federation expressed their sorrow on social media, saying, “We regret to announce that our athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who competed at the Olympics, has suffered severe injuries and is hospitalized at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.”
The local police have launched an investigation into the attack, with a particular focus on the circumstances surrounding the couple’s land dispute.
