Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has tragically passed away after reportedly being set alight by a Kenyan man. Here are six key facts about her life and the unfortunate incident:
1. Age and Athletic Career
Rebecca Cheptegei was born on February 22, 1991 in Cheminy, Uganda. She was 33 years old at the time of her death and had been a professional athlete for over 15 years. She began her career in 2010, and her first recorded result was a 15th-place finish in the 1,500 metres at the 38th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Poland. Cheptegei was a mother of two.
2. Achievements in Athletics
Throughout her career, Cheptegei achieved several significant milestones. She won the 2022 Padova Marathon in Italy and secured second place in the 10,000 metres at the Ugandan Championships. In the same year, she earned a gold medal at the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand. She also achieved a personal best of 2:22:47 in the 2022 ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon, where she finished fourth. Additionally, Cheptegei represented Uganda at the 2024 Paris Olympics and finished 14th at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
3. Location of the Attack
The tragic attack occurred at Cheptegei’s home in Endebes, Kenya, after she returned from church. Police reports state that her alleged attacker, identified as Dickson Ndiema, hid in her compound with five litres of petrol. He then doused her with the petrol and set her on fire.
4. Severity of Cheptegei’s Injuries
Both Cheptegei and Ndiema sustained burns in the incident. Cheptegei suffered burns to 80% of her body, including severe skin and inhalation burns, which caused complications in her throat and lungs. Despite efforts by doctors at the Intensive Care Unit to manage her pain and prevent organ failure, she succumbed to her injuries. Tragically, she died just before her family’s plans to airlift her to Nairobi for specialised treatment could be carried out.
5. Relationship with the Attacker
There were reports suggesting the incident was a domestic dispute, but Cheptegei’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, denied any romantic relationship between his daughter and Ndiema. He clarified that Rebecca was married, with her husband and their two daughters, aged nine and eleven, residing in Uganda.
6. Reason for the Attack
Cheptegei’s family mentioned that the attack was related to a land dispute, which was due to be resolved in court. Her father and sister, Evalyne Chelagat, expressed deep grief over the incident and called for justice. They revealed that they had met with the police just two days before the attack to address the ongoing dispute.
The family continues to mourn the loss of Rebecca Cheptegei and seeks justice for her untimely death.