Rebecca Cheptegei, an Olympic marathoner for Uganda who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics, tragically passed away on Thursday morning after reportedly being set on fire by her former boyfriend in Kenya. She was 33.
On behalf of #TeamKenya we extend our deepest condolences to the Ugandan sports community, family, and friends of Rebecca Cheptegei.
Rebecca’s talent, and perseverance as Uganda’s Women’s Marathon record holder and a Paris 2024 Olympian will always be remembered and celebrated.… pic.twitter.com/k3hNYB9WOP
— TeamKenya (@OlympicsKe) September 5, 2024
According to the Kenyan newspaper Nation, Owen Menach, the Director of Clinical Services and Surgery at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, confirmed that Cheptegei died around 5 a.m. local time due to “full organ failure.” This followed a horrific attack by her boyfriend at her home in Kenya on Sunday, which left her with burns covering 75 per cent of her body. She was admitted to the hospital in critical condition.
The alleged attacker, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, was also injured by the flames and is currently hospitalized. Neighbours reportedly overheard the couple arguing outside the house shortly before the attack. Both Cheptegei and Marangach were rescued from the fire by neighbours.
The Uganda Athletics Federation led tributes to Cheptegei on X (formerly Twitter), posting: “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei, who tragically fell victim to domestic violence early this morning. As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest in peace.”
BREAKING NEWS💔💔
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. pic.twitter.com/ZdxmZ3wDuE— UGANDA ATHLETICS FEDERATION🇺🇬🇺🇬 UAF (@UgaAthletics2) September 5, 2024
Cheptegei finished 44th in the marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympics in August and previously won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022. She had a marathon best of 2:22:47.
Tragically, this is not the first instance of domestic violence involving elite female athletes in East Africa. In 2021, Kenya’s two-time 10,000m world championship bronze medallist, Agnes Tirop, was found stabbed to death by her husband at their home in Iten, Kenya. Tirop’s husband, Emmanuel Ibrahim Kipleting, was arrested after fleeing Iten and found hundreds of kilometres away. She was 25 at the time of her death
