Uganda is set to bury Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei on Saturday after her tragic death in a brutal act of gender-based violence. The 33-year-old marathon runner, who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics, was attacked and set on fire by her partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, earlier this month. She succumbed to severe burns last week, sparking outrage and global tributes condemning violence against women.
Cheptegei’s body was transported across the Kenya-Uganda border on Friday, ahead of the burial in her hometown of Bukwo, located 380 kilometers northeast of Uganda’s capital, Kampala. The funeral, set to begin at 10:00 am, will feature military honors, as she was a sergeant in the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces.
Cheptegei leaves behind two daughters, who are reportedly struggling to comprehend the loss. Her estranged husband, Simon Ayeko, expressed the difficulty of explaining their mother’s death to the children. Local media reports suggest the daughters witnessed the attack, which police say occurred after Marangach entered her home while she was at church.
The family revealed that Cheptegei had been in a dispute with Marangach over the ownership of the property she shared with her daughters and sister. Marangach later died from injuries sustained during the assault.
The tragedy follows other high-profile cases of femicide in the region, including the deaths of athletes Agnes Tirop and Damaris Mutua in domestic violence incidents. In 2022, Kenya recorded 725 cases of femicide, while 34 percent of women reported experiencing physical violence since the age of 15, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Activists have called attention to the increasing violence against women, urging for more action to prevent such horrific incidents.
Cheptegei’s contribution to athletics and her community will be honored by scores of athletes attending the burial, as her family and the global community mourn her loss.