The man who attacked Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei has died from injuries sustained during the assault, the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Kenya confirmed on Tuesday.
Dickson Ndiema Marangach, who set Cheptegei on fire, passed away after being treated for severe burns.
Police reports indicate that on September 1, Marangach doused Cheptegei with petrol in her home in western Kenya, resulting in fatal injuries.
Cheptegei, a mother of two, suffered burns covering 80 percent of her body and succumbed to her injuries last week.
Marangach, who sustained 30 percent burns during the attack, had been receiving intensive care at the hospital in Eldoret.
“It’s true we lost Dickson Ndiema last night at about 8:00 pm,” confirmed a hospital official, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the press.
The official added that the family of the deceased had been notified, and a formal statement would be issued later.
The attack on 33-year-old Cheptegei has sparked outrage and sorrow, highlighting the pervasive issue of gender-based violence in East Africa.
Cheptegei’s death follows the tragic killings of two other prominent athletes in recent years, both victims of domestic violence.
Cheptegei, who had just made her Olympic debut at the Paris Games, finishing 44th in the women’s marathon, was set to be buried on September 14 near her family home in eastern Uganda, according to Uganda’s Olympic Committee.
The brutal incident took place while Cheptegei and her daughters were returning from church.
Marangach, reportedly hiding in a chicken coop, attacked her over a property dispute, pouring petrol on her and setting her ablaze.
Her sister, who was nearby, fled when Marangach threatened her with a machete.
Cheptegei’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, told local media that the couple had ongoing disputes, which escalated into the deadly attack.
Kenya has faced a growing crisis of gender-based violence, with over 725 femicide cases reported in 2022, according to UN statistics.
A recent report by Kenya’s National Bureau of Statistics found that 34 percent of women in the country had experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
Cheptegei’s death adds to the list of high-profile femicides, including the 2021 murder of record-breaking Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop and the 2022 killing of Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Mutua.
In both cases, their ex-partners were implicated.
Tirop’s estranged partner is currently on trial, denying charges of murder.
AFP
