Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei dies days after partner set her on fire; officials highlight pattern of 'gender-based violence'

Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei died Thursday, four days after police in Kenya said her boyfriend set her on fire, a tragedy that Kenyan athletic officials cited as part of a concerning trend in the Eastern Africa region.

Cheptegei, who competed a few weeks ago as a long-distance runner in the women’s marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympics, died after her organs failed at a Kenyan hospital where she was being treated for burns that covered most of her body.

"We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence," the Uganda Athletics Federation confirmed in an X post, Thursday morning. "As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest In Peace."

Kenyan officials have called the death of Cheptegei, the third woman athlete in Uganda to die from violence by an intimate partner since 2021, "a stark reminder" to "combat gender-based violence in our society."

A brutal attack

According to police in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya, Cheptegei’s partner, Dickson Ndiema, bought a can of gasoline on Sunday, poured it on her and set her on fire during a domestic dispute. A local chief also filed a report that they were heard fighting over the property where she built her home.

Reuters reported that her father, Joseph Cheptegei, told local media that the land had caused problems and called on the Kenyan government to protect her home and her children.

Police said Ndiema attacked her when she returned home from church with her two daughters.

Cheptegei arrived at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital fully sedated with burns over 80% of her body. Hospital spokesperson Owen Menach confirmed Cheptegei’s death on Thursday.

Ndiema also was burned in the attack and had been treated at the same hospital.

The Olympian’s father said that Ndiema is still free and may flee. Kenyan police are investigating the incident.

Rebecca Cheptegei remembered as an 'affable' athlete and daughter

The 33-year-old Olympian and mother of two was born and raised in Cheminy, Uganda. However, she trained in Trans-Nzoia County in western Kenya, according to Kenyan newspaper the Standard. The Standard reported that she had purchased land and built a home in Kinyoro, Kenya, to be near the country's training facilities and to cut living costs.

Cheptegei began her track career in 2010, competing in half and full marathons, winning in the 1500-meter event at the München Pfingstmeeting in Munich and the 10000-meter race at the Ugandan Championships at Kampala, Uganda, according to Kenyan newspaper, Tuko.

In 2011 and 2013, she represented Uganda in the respective World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbría, Spain, and Bydgoszcz, Poland.

She also won the Padova Marathon in Italy and the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 2022, according to the BBC.

Cheptegei finished in 44th place at the Paris Olympics.

Cheptegei had also been an officer for the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces.

Ugandan athlete James Kirwa shared with the BBC that Cheptegei was like an older sister to him and "was a very affable person. [She] helped us all even financially and she brought me training shoes when she came back from the Olympics.”

According to the Associated Press, her father told journalists at the hospital that his daughter was “very supportive” and that he hoped to get justice.

Troubling gender-based violence statistics plague Uganda and Kenya

Cheptegei’s death highlights the prevalence of gender-based violence against women in Uganda and Kenya.

Almost all women (95%) have experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner or non-partner since the age of 15, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

Roughly a third (34%) of Kenyan girls and women between the ages of 15-49 have been subjected to physical violence, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics reported.

“This tragedy is a stark reminder that we must do more to combat gender-based violence in our society, which in recent years has reared its ugly head in elite sporting circles,” Kenya's Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen wrote in a statement, adding that he would seek justice for Cheptegei.