Joe
A Ugandan athlete residing in Kenya, Rebecca Cheptegei, is receiving treatment for severe burns after being set on fire by her boyfriend, authorities reported.
Cheptegei, a distance runner who placed 44th in the marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was attacked in her home in Trans Nzoia County. According to Trans Nzoia police commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom, the incident occurred on Sunday when Cheptegei’s boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, doused her with petrol and set her alight during a dispute.
Ndiema also sustained burn injuries, and both are currently undergoing specialized treatment at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
Cheptegei’s parents revealed that their daughter had purchased land in Trans Nzoia to be near the county’s numerous athletic training centers. A report from the local chief indicated that the couple was heard arguing over the land where their house was built shortly before the fire broke out.
This tragic incident adds to a growing list of violent attacks on athletes in the region. In 2023, Ugandan Olympic runner and steeplechaser Benjamin Kiplagat was found dead with stab wounds, and in 2022, Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Muthee was discovered strangled to death.
