Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei was treated for burns on 75% of her body after authorities say her boyfriend doused her in gasoline and set her on fire Sunday.
The 33-year-old Ugandan distance runner competed in the Olympics in Paris 2024 before moving to Kenya. Her parents said she bought land in the area because the location is conducive for training.
Authorities said Cheptegei and her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, were heard arguing over the property in Trans Nzoia County where she built her house before she was assaulted. It is not clear whether that disagreement was at the heart of Sunday’s attack.
Ndiema was also burnt after pouring a can of fuel on Cheptegei and setting her on fire. The couple is being treated at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in the town of Eldoret, according to the Associated Press.
Ugandan news outlet MTN reported Cheptegei, a marathon runner, made his Olympic debut in Paris as part of Uganda’s 25-man team. Only four of these athletes competed in non-running sports.
Uganda Athletics Federation confirmed the attack on social media where her wounds were described as “severe”.
According to national statistics recorded by UN Women Africa, 45 percent of Kenyan women aged 15–49 have experienced physical violence. These acts of violence are usually committed by a romantic partner. That organization accuses Kenyan culture of having a “social tolerance for violence against women.”
Kenyan born athlete Damaris Mutua was was found dead from strangulation in the Kenyan city of Iten in 2022, according to the BBC. Six months earlier, the 25-year-old runner Agnes Tirop was stabbed to death in the same city. Men with whom these runners had been in a relationship were immediately named as suspects.
With News Wire Services