A Ugandan Olympian is in critical condition at a Kenyan hospital after being set on fire, reportedly by her partner, in what officials have described as a harrowing case of gender-based violence.
Rebecca Cheptegei, a 33-year-old long-distance runner, was attacked after her Kenyan partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, allegedly sneaked into her home in Endebess, Trans-Nzoia County, on Sunday afternoon while she and her children were at church, according to police.
“Dickson, who had procured petrol, began pouring it on Rebecca before setting her ablaze,” the police report stated, adding that Marangach was also injured by the flames.
Neighbors reportedly rescued the pair and rushed them to Kitale County Referral Hospital, where they were treated for “multiple burns.”
They were later transferred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), where Cheptegei was admitted to the intensive care unit on Monday.
“Her condition is serious, with facial burns and bandages,” a hospital staff member told AFP, requesting anonymity due to a lack of authorization to speak to the media.
The police report did not specify whether Cheptegei’s children were harmed during the attack.
According to the police, Cheptegei and Marangach had a tumultuous relationship, marked by frequent domestic disputes.
Local media reported that the athlete suffered burns over 75 percent of her body.
Her parents are reportedly traveling from Uganda to be by her side.
Cheptegei, who placed 44th in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, had recently purchased land and built a home in Trans-Nzoia, near the Ugandan border.
The Ugandan Athletics Federation expressed its sorrow over the incident, stating that Cheptegei had “suffered severe injuries” as a result of the attack.
“This follows an incident involving her Kenyan boyfriend pouring petrol and setting her on fire,” the federation said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
The assault on Cheptegei highlights the ongoing issue of gender-based violence in the region.
According to a January 2023 report by the Kenyan Bureau of National Statistics, 34 percent of women in Kenya have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
The report noted that married women are particularly vulnerable, with 41 percent reporting incidents of violence compared to 20 percent of unmarried women.
This tragedy follows the deaths of two other athletes in Kenya: Damaris Mutua, who was found dead in Iten in 2022, and record-breaking runner Agnes Tirop, who was murdered in 2021. Tirop’s estranged husband, Emmanuel Ibrahim Rotich, is currently on trial for her murder, charges he denies.
