Athlete Rebecca Cheptegei Burned To Death By Ex-Girlfriend

Ugandan marathon athlete Rebecca Cheptegei died after being burned by her ex-partner (X/ugaathletics2).

JAKARTA The unfortunate fate of a running athlete from Uganda, Rebecca Cheptegei. He reportedly died after being doused with gasoline and burned by his ex-girlfriend.

The 33-year-old marathon runner, who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics recently, suffered serious burns after receiving heinous treatment from his ex-girlfriend last weekend.

Rebecca then breathed her last on Thursday, September 5, 2024, after receiving treatment. The news was confirmed by the athlete's father named Joseph Cheptegei.

"We are very hurt," Joseph said as quoted by the Washington Post.

Joseph did not see his daughter's last fight against death. He rushed to the hospital in Eldoret, western Kenya, after receiving a call from the doctor at 05.30 am local time.

However, he arrived there late to just say goodbye to his daughter.

Authorities in northwest Kenya, where Cheptegei lives and trains, said he was a target after returning from church with his two daughters.

A report provided by a local administrator said that the athlete and his former partner were at odds over a plot of land.

Chepteget is said to have bought a plot of land in the Trans Nzoia region and built a house near the Kenyan elite athletic training center.

Rebecca's death adds to a long list of violence against women that occurred in Kenya. In a survey in 2022, at least 34 percent of women said they had experienced physical violence.

"This tragedy is a clear reminder of the urgent need to fight gender-based violence, which has increasingly affected elite sports," said Kenyan Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen.