Rebecca Cheptegei, a 33-year-old Ugandan Olympian and national marathon record holder, tragically passed away on September 5, 2024, at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. She succumbed to severe burns inflicted in a violent attack by her partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, who reportedly doused her in petrol and set her alight at her home in Endebess, Trans-Nzoia County.
The assault, which occurred just weeks after Cheptegei competed in the Paris 2024 Olympics, has sparked outrage across East Africa and beyond. Kenyan Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen condemned the act, emphasizing the need to address the growing epidemic of gender-based violence in the region.
Cheptegei’s two young daughters witnessed the brutal attack, which has also drawn widespread condemnation from women's rights groups and the athletics community. The Uganda and Kenya Olympic Committees both expressed their profound sorrow at her passing, calling it a "senseless act" and a "profound loss" to the sport.
Marangach, who sustained burns during the attack, is currently under investigation. The incident is a stark reminder of the rising cases of femicide in East Africa, where similar tragedies have taken the lives of athletes such as Kenyan-born Agnes Tirop and Damaris Mutua in recent years.