Ugandan Olympian In Intensive Care After Partner ‘Set Her On Fire’

A Ugandan Olympian is currently in intensive care at a hospital in Kenya after allegedly being attacked by her partner, who doused her in petrol and set her on fire, officials reported on Tuesday.

This incident highlights the ongoing issue of gender-based violence in the East African nation.

Rebecca Cheptegei, a 33-year-old long-distance runner, was assaulted when her Kenyan partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, is said to have entered her home in Endebess, located in the western county of Trans-Nzoia, around 2:00 pm on Sunday, while she and her children were attending church.

According to a police report released late Monday, Dickson, after obtaining petrol, began dousing Rebecca with it before igniting her. The report also noted that he sustained injuries from the fire. Neighbors intervened, rescuing both individuals and transporting them to the nearby Kitale County Referral Hospital, where they were admitted with severe burns.

They were taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), where Cheptegei was admitted to the intensive care unit on Monday.

“A staff member at MTRH, who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity due to media restrictions, reported that her condition appears serious, with facial burns and bandages.”

The police report did not indicate whether Cheptegei’s children were injured in the incident.

According to the police report, the Ugandan athlete and Marangach were a couple who frequently experienced family disputes.

Local reports indicated that the athlete suffered burns covering 75 percent of her body, and her parents were en route from Uganda to see her.

The reports noted that their daughter had purchased land and constructed a house in the Trans-Nzoia region, which borders Uganda.

Cheptegei finished in 44th place in the marathon at the Paris Olympics.

The Ugandan Athletics Federation expressed its sorrow regarding the incident, stating that Cheptegei had “sustained serious injuries.”

The statement posted on X referenced an incident where her Kenyan boyfriend doused her in petrol and ignited a fire.

A report from the Kenyan Bureau of National Statistics released in January 2023 revealed that 34 percent of women in Kenya have faced physical violence since turning 15.

The report indicated that women who have been married are significantly more likely to have encountered violence, with 41 percent of married women reporting such incidents, in contrast to 20 percent of unmarried women.

The attack on Cheptegei occurs two years after the tragic death of Damaris Mutua, a Kenyan-born athlete, who was discovered deceased in Iten, a renowned running hub located in the Rift Valley of western Kenya.

Mutua’s passing came after the shocking murder of record-breaking runner Agnes Tirop, 25, who was found stabbed to death in her Iten home in 2021.

Her estranged husband, Emmanuel Ibrahim Rotich, faced trial for her murder in 2023, pleading not guilty to the allegations. His trial is still in progress.