• 21 Nov, 2024

A Ugandan Olympic runner has died after being set on fire by her boyfriend, officials report.

A Ugandan Olympic runner has died after being set on fire by her boyfriend, officials report.

Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan Olympic marathon runner, has passed away at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya.

The 33-year-old athlete suffered severe burns on approximately 80% of her body after her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, reportedly set her on fire during a dispute over land. Cheptegei died early Thursday morning from organ failure.

Ndiema, who also sustained injuries and is in stable condition, allegedly used gasoline to ignite the fire. The couple had been heard arguing about the land on which their house was built. Cheptegei’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, expressed deep frustration over the situation, urging for justice as Ndiema remains at large.

The Uganda Athletics Federation and Uganda Olympic Committee have condemned the violence. The Uganda Athletics Federation expressed profound sorrow over Cheptegei's death, while Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare described the incident as a "cowardly and senseless act."

Cheptegei, who competed in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, was a prominent figure in athletics and her death has been met with widespread grief and calls for justice.