Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei was buried on Saturday with full military honours following her tragic death in Kenya, where she was allegedly attacked by her former partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach. The 32-year-old athlete, who had recently competed in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, suffered fatal burns after being doused in petrol and set on fire in what authorities describe as a brutal domestic violence incident.
Cheptegei had returned to her home in the highlands of western Kenya after finishing 44th in the Paris Olympic marathon on August 11. Just three weeks later, she was allegedly ambushed by Marangach as she returned home from church with her two daughters and younger sister in the village of Kinyoro. Despite seeking help from local authorities on at least three occasions regarding threats from her ex-partner, no intervention occurred before the fatal attack, according to her father, Joseph Cheptegei.
The runner sustained burns to 80% of her body and, while receiving treatment in the hospital, confided in her father, saying, “I don’t think I am going to make it.” Four days after the attack, she succumbed to her injuries. Her last wish, expressed to her father, was to be buried at home in Uganda.
Cheptegei’s untimely death has ignited widespread anger and sparked renewed conversations about the dangers of domestic violence in Kenya, particularly within the athletic community. Cheptegei is the third prominent female runner to lose her life in an act of domestic violence since 2021, shedding light on the vulnerabilities faced by female athletes in Kenya. According to government data from 2022, one in three Kenyan women between the ages of 15 and 49 have experienced physical violence, a statistic that rights groups say is exacerbated by the financial success of elite female athletes, whose prize money often exceeds local income levels.
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Cheptegei’s rise to prominence in the sporting world was marked by notable achievements, including her victory at the 2021 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand and a national marathon record set in 2022 after winning the Padova Marathon in Italy. Born in eastern Uganda in 1991, she moved to Kenya to pursue her athletic dreams, having met Marangach during a training stint.
Marangach, who sustained burns in the attack on Cheptegei, died a few days later. His death has divided opinion, with some athletes and community members feeling that justice was not fully served. “Justice really would have been for him to sit in jail and think about what he had done,” said marathoner Viola Cheptoo, co-founder of Tirop’s Angels, a support group for athletes facing domestic violence in Kenya.
Despite the heartbreaking circumstances of her death, Cheptegei’s legacy continues to inspire. Paris, where she last competed, has announced plans to name a sports facility in her honour. “She dazzled us here in Paris. We saw her. Her beauty, her strength, her freedom,” said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. “Paris will not forget her.”
Cheptegei’s death is a painful reminder of the persistent threat of violence against women, but it is also a call to action for both the sporting community and society to better protect female athletes and ensure their safety.
