A Ugandan marathon runner who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics has died in Kenya after her former boyfriend allegedly set her on fire.
Media in Kenya reported that Rebecca Cheptegei, who finished in 44th place in the Olympics, died on Thursday.
On Sunday, Cheptegei’s former boyfriend reportedly doused her body with petrol and set her on fire at her home in neighboring Kenya, where she was training. She was being treated for extensive burns that she suffered in the attack, but later died.
Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare said, “This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete.”
Violence against women has become a social issue in Kenya. In 2022, a survey found that 34 percent of women aged 15 or older had experienced physical violence, most often perpetrated by their husbands or partners.
There has been a series of cases in which top female athletes have been victimized. Kenya’s sports minister Kipchumba Murkomen said, “We must do more to combat gender-based violence in our society.”