Kenya femicide: Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei has been brutally murdered

Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, finished 44th in the marathon at the recent Paris Olympics. But her former boyfriend targeted her after she returned home from church on Sunday. He doused her in petrol before burning her, leading to the athlete suffering extensive burns.

Her father, Joseph, said that he had lost a “very supportive” daughter. Cheptegei lived and trained in Kenya. She and her ex-partner had reportedly been engaged in a long argument over a piece of land. Police say the investigation is ongoing.

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The Olympian, from a region just across the border in Uganda, is said to have bought a plot in Trans Nzoia county and built a house to be near Kenya’s elite athletics training centres, according to a recent report in the BBC.

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Rebecca Cheptegei’s brutal murder is a stark reminder of the urgent need to combat gender-based violence. In 2022, at least 34% of Kenya’s female population said they had experienced physical violence, according to a national survey.

“This is heart-breaking. Even more heart-breaking that it’s not the first time the athletics community has lost such an incredible female athlete to domestic violence,” British Olympian runner Eilish McColgan noted on X.

Cheptegei’s former boyfriend has also been admitted to the hospital, but for less severe burns. He is still in intensive care but his condition is said to be “improving and stable”. Currently, arrangements are being made to transport the athlete’s body back to Uganda.