A 33-year-old Ugandan Olympian and long-distance runner, Rebecca Cheptegei, is in intensive care at a Kenyan hospital after being doused with petrol and set on fire, allegedly by her partner.
The incident is the latest case of gender-based violence in East Africa, officials said on Tuesday.
The attack took place in Cheptegei’s home in Endebess, Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya. According to police, Cheptegei’s Kenyan partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, sneaked into her house at around 2:00 pm on Sunday while she and her children were at church. The police report stated, “Dickson, who had procured petrol, began pouring (it) on Rebecca before he set her ablaze.” Marangach was also injured by the flames.
Neighbors rescued both Cheptegei and Marangach, taking them to Kitale County Referral Hospital, where they were admitted with “multiple burns.” They were later transferred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), where Cheptegei was admitted to the intensive care unit on Monday. A staff member at MTRH said, “Her condition looks serious with facial burns and bandages,” but declined to give their name as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The police report did not mention if Cheptegei’s children were hurt in the attack. It noted that Cheptegei and Marangach were a couple who “constantly had family wrangles.” Local media reported that Cheptegei sustained burns on over 75 percent of her body, and her parents were traveling from Uganda to visit her. The reports also said that Cheptegei had purchased land and built a house in Trans-Nzoia, which is on the border with Uganda.
Cheptegei competed in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, where she placed 44th. The Ugandan Athletics Federation expressed deep regret over the incident, stating, “Cheptegei has suffered severe injuries. This follows an incident involving her Kenyan boyfriend pouring petrol and setting fire on her,” the Federation said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
The attack on Cheptegei highlights the ongoing issue of gender-based violence in the region. A report by the Kenyan Bureau of National Statistics published in January 2023 found that 34 percent of women in Kenya have experienced physical violence since the age of 15. The report also noted that married women are more likely to experience violence, with 41 percent reporting incidents compared to 20 percent of unmarried women.
This incident comes two years after Kenyan-born athlete Damaris Mutua was found dead in Iten, a renowned running hub in Kenya’s Rift Valley.
Her death followed the murder of record-breaking runner Agnes Tirop, who was found stabbed to death in her home in Iten in 2021.
Tirop’s estranged husband, Emmanuel Ibrahim Rotich, went on trial over her murder in 2023 and has denied the charges. His trial is still ongoing.
