On Sunday, Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei returned to her home in Kenya after spending the morning at church. Her boyfriend Dickson Ndiema had sneaked into her home and when Rebecca returned, they argued and then he attacked her. He doused her in gasoline and then set fire to her. She had burns on 75% of her body and she was in critical condition throughout Sunday and Monday. Rebecca Cheptegei has now passed away.
A Ugandan athlete who appeared in the 2024 Paris Olympics has died after reportedly being set on fire by her boyfriend in Kenya.
As previously reported by PEOPLE, distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, suffered 75 percent burns on her body after her boyfriend allegedly doused her in gasoline and set her on fire at her home in Trans Nzoia County in western Kenya on Sunday, Sept. 1, police said, per the Associated Press, BBC News and ESPN.
On Thursday, Sept. 5, it was reported Cheptegei had died from her injuries, per local outlets the Daily Nation, The Standard and The Star. Per the Nation, Dr. Owen Menach, who is the Director of Clinical Services and Surgery at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, confirmed the sad news, announcing the athlete died at around 5 a.m. local time from “full organ failure.”
Family member, Dr. Tony Sabila, also confirmed to Nation Sport that Cheptegei had died.
“It is true that we lost our sister this morning although the doctors tried to save her life and I was there personally,” Sabila said.
The Uganda Athletics Federation led tributes on X (formerly known as Twitter), posting, “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence. As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest In Peace.”
My heart hurts for this poor woman, and the agony she was in. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family, especially her two daughters. There is not a fiery enough hell for Dickson Ndiema’s soul. Rebecca was living in Kenya to train, to do what she loved, and this toxic man murdered her.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.