Marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei of Uganda dies after her boyfriend attacked her in Kenya. Cheptegei had represented her country in the Paris Olympics, finishing 44th in the marathon. She was doused in petrol and set on fire; she had sustained burns of more than 75 percent of her body. The brutal incident happened on Sunday, and she passed away on Thursday morning at 5:30 am.

This is the third case of a female athlete who has lost her life in violent circumstances in Kenya since October 2021. An investigation into the brutal attack is underway from Kenyan and Ugandan authorities. Donald Rukare, the president of the Uganda Olympics Committee expressed his deep condolences over the incident while condemning the rising cases of violence against women.

“We have learnt of the sad passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei… following a vicious attack by her boyfriend,” Donald Rukare, president of Uganda Olympics Committee, said in a post on X.

“May her gentle soul rest in peace and we strongly condemn violence against women,” he said.

Kenyan Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen termed Cheptegei’s death as a loss to the entire region and called for urgent attention to deal with gender-based violence, especially in the sports community.

“This tragedy is a stark reminder that we must do more to combat gender-based violence in our society, which in recent years has reared its ugly head in elite sporting circles,” he said in a statement.

She was admitted to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, where doctors fought to save her life. Her death has reignited calls for stronger measures to combat domestic violence, an issue that continues to plague female athletes in Kenya. The attack has brought into the limelight the wider issue of gender violence in the country, where government reports show that almost 34% of women between 15-49 years have been subjected to physical abuse.

Cheptegei’s death comes after the high-profile murder of Olympian Agnes Tirop in 2021 that led to the creation of “Tirop’s Angels,” an organization committed to protection for women athletes from violence. The tragic loss of Cheptegei is a grim reminder of the ongoing dangers women face within East Africa’s sports world.

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Famous Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei burnt by her boyfriend

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