Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has tragically passed away from severe injuries sustained in an attack by her Kenyan boyfriend.
The athlete succumbed to her injuries at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, Kenya, where she had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Kenyan media reports confirm that MTRH’s acting Director, Dr. Owen Menach, revealed that Cheptegei passed away last night after multiple organ failure.
Cheptegei had suffered severe burns after her alleged boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, reportedly doused her with petrol and set her on fire.
Marangach also sustained burn injuries during the attack.
The horrifying incident took place on Monday in Trans Nzoia County, Kenya.
The details surrounding the altercation are still under investigation, but the attack has shocked both the athletics community and the public at large.
Cheptegei recently competed in the Women’s Marathon race at the Paris Olympics, finishing 44th in a time of 2:32:14.
She also won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022.
Dickson Ndiema Marangach, the alleged boyfriend, also sustained burn injuries during the attack.
According to reports, Marangach sneaked into Rebecca Cheptegei’s home on Sunday, carrying a five-litre jerrican of petrol. Cheptegei had gone to church with her children, and upon her return, Marangach allegedly poured petrol on her and set her on fire.
Neighbors heard the commotion and rushed to the scene, managing to rescue both Cheptegei and Marangach. They were taken to the hospital in critical condition.
The athlete’s father, Mzee Joseph Cheptegei, clarified that his daughter and Marangach had only been friends for some time. He suggested that the two had been quarrelling over her land in Endebes, Trans Nzoia, where the attack took place.
“They were just friends, and I don’t understand why he wanted to take away what belonged to my daughter,” Mzee Cheptegei said.
He further revealed that the two had a legal dispute, which was under investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). Cheptegei was a mother of two children, whose father lives in Uganda.
Mzee Cheptegei noted that Cheptegei and Marangach had been separated for a long time, but on Sunday, Marangach reportedly sneaked into her home to carry out the attack.
Rebecca Cheptegei is the latest Ugandan athlete to be killed in Kenya!
Benjamin Kiplagat, who represented Uganda at three Olympic Games, was found dead in Kenya, with local reports saying he had been stabbed in December 2023. Kiplagat reached the semi-finals of the 2012 London Olympics in the 3,000m steeplechase.
