A Ugandan Olympic runner, Rebecca Cheptegei, has been hospitalized in Kenya after a horrific attack by her partner, according to police reports. Cheptegei, who recently competed in the Paris Olympics, suffered severe burns on 75% of her body when her partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, allegedly poured petrol on her and set her on fire. The incident occurred on Sunday afternoon at her home in Trans Nzoia County, Kenya.
The 33-year-old athlete is now in critical condition at a hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. Police report that Marangach was also injured in the attack, which took place after he reportedly broke into Cheptegei’s home while she was attending church.
Cheptegei’s parents are currently traveling from Uganda to be with her. They mentioned that their daughter had purchased property in the area to benefit from the local training facilities.
Cheptegei, who finished 44th in the women’s marathon at the 2024 Olympics, is unfortunately not the first athlete to face domestic violence in Kenya. In 2021, record-breaking Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop was tragically murdered in her home. Her estranged husband, Emmanuel Ibrahim Rotich, is currently on trial for her murder.
In response to Tirop’s death, her family and fellow athletes founded “Tirop’s Angels,” a foundation dedicated to combating gender-based violence. The foundation recently opened a center in Iten, Kenya, to support victims of such violence.
