Authorities report that 33-year-old marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei of Uganda passed away after her ex-boyfriend doused her in gasoline and set her on fire in north-west Kenya. The attack happened after Cheptegei got home from church and left her with severe burns. She participated in Paris. Authorities in the area claim that the athlete’s and her ex-partner’s land dispute is what caused the tragedy.
Cheptegei passed away from her wounds following multiple organ failure while undergoing treatment at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. Her ex-boyfriend, who was also burned, is still being treated at the hospital for less serious wounds. The Ugandan athletics organization called for justice, expressed its sincere grief, and denounced the act of violence.
This tragedy comes after similar events in which athletes from East Africa, Damaris Mutua and Agnes Tirop, were killed by their boyfriends. The number of domestic abuse complaints involving female athletes in the area is concerning.