Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who tragically died in Kenya after being set on fire by her boyfriend, will be buried on September 14 in her hometown, according to funeral organizers. The 33-year-old athlete, who competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics last month, succumbed to severe burns on Thursday, just days after the attack.
The funeral will take place in Kongasis sub-county, Bukwo district in eastern Uganda, near Cheptegei’s family home, located about 380 kilometers northeast of Kampala. Beatrice Ayikoru, secretary general of the Uganda Olympic Committee and a member of the organizing committee, confirmed the details.
Cheptegei’s death has sparked outrage and mourning, highlighting ongoing issues of gender-based violence in Kenya, where at least two other athletes have similarly lost their lives. Doctors reported that she suffered burns covering more than 80 percent of her body from the attack last Sunday. The assailant, her Kenyan partner Dickson Ndiema Marangach, also sustained severe burns and is currently receiving hospital treatment.
In tribute to Cheptegei, the city of Paris will name a sports venue in her honor. The athlete, who had just made her Olympic marathon debut in August, was also a record holder for Uganda in women’s marathon and served as a sergeant in the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe expressed profound sadness over Cheptegei’s death, acknowledging the tragic circumstances and vowing to improve safeguarding policies to protect athletes from abuse. The incident has intensified the focus on domestic violence and femicide in Kenya, prompting calls for stronger measures to address gender-based violence.
The United Nations condemned the “violent murder,” with spokesman Stephane Dujarric emphasizing that gender-based violence remains a significant human rights violation globally and should be treated as such. Cheptegei’s death marks the third instance of a female athlete being killed by a partner since 2021.
