A Ugandan athlete residing in Kenya, Rebecca Cheptegei, was brutally attacked and set on fire by her boyfriend, resulting in severe burns covering 75% of her body. The incident took place in her home in Trans Nzoia County, where she remains in critical condition, according to police.
Cheptegei, a distance runner who participated in the 2024 Paris Olympics, was seriously injured during a domestic altercation on Sunday. Police reported that her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, purchased a container of petrol, doused her with it, and ignited a fire during an argument.
Witnesses at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret indicated that Cheptegei has sustained serious facial burns and is heavily bandaged. Ndiema also suffered burns in the attack, and both are receiving medical care at the facility.
The couple had reportedly been arguing over a piece of land Cheptegei purchased in Trans Nzoia, which was intended to be close to the county’s athletic training facilities. The local chief’s report indicates that neighbors could hear the couple fighting prior to the fire.
The Ugandan Athletics Federation expressed its sorrow over Cheptegei’s injuries, emphasizing both the severity of the situation and the unfortunate trend of gender-based violence in Kenya. A report from the Kenyan Bureau of National Statistics revealed that 34% of women in the country have experienced physical violence since the age of 15, with married women significantly more likely to report such incidents.
This attack is part of a troubling pattern of violence against women in the region, following high-profile cases including the murders of Kenyan athletes Damaris Mutua and Agnes Tirop in recent years.