In Kenya, a Ugandan athlete named Rebecca Cheptegei residing in the country was brutally attacked and set on fire by her boyfriend, resulting in severe burns covering 75% of her body. Cheptegei, known for her achievements in distance running and participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics, was assaulted in her residence located in the western Trans Nzoia County.
According to Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom, the tragic incident occurred during a dispute when Cheptegei’s boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, purchased a container of petrol which he used to douse her before setting her alight on Sunday. The violent act also caused burn injuries to Ndiema himself, and both individuals are now undergoing specialized care at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret city.
Cheptegei’s parents disclosed that their daughter had acquired property in Trans Nzoia to be in proximity to the numerous athletic training facilities available in the county. Notably, a local chief’s report indicated that the couple was overheard arguing about the ownership of the land where their house was constructed just before the tragic fire incident unfolded.
Tragically, this heinous assault is not an isolated incident within the realm of sports. In recent years, there have been other distressing cases within the athletic community, such as the 2023 killing of Ugandan Olympic runner and steeplechaser Benjamin Kiplagat, who was discovered with stab wounds, and the 2022 murder of Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Muthee, whose postmortem examination revealed she had been strangled.
