Ex-Boyfriend Set Olympian On Fire
Ex-Boyfriend Set Olympian On Fire
Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei fights for her life in a Kenyan hospital after a brutal attack by her ex-boyfriend. The 33-year-old marathon runner, who recently competed in the Paris Olympics, suffered severe burns after being doused with petrol and set on fire. This horrifying incident took place at her home in Endebess, a small town in western Kenya, where she had been training.
Cheptegei had just returned from church with her two children when her ex-boyfriend confronted her. Neighbors rushed to her aid after hearing a violent altercation and witnessing him pouring a liquid on her before igniting it.
The alleged attacker also sustained serious burns and is receiving treatment at the same hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, where both are under medical care.
Reports indicate that the two had been embroiled in a dispute over a piece of land that Cheptegei had purchased in Trans Nzoia county, where she built a house to be closer to Kenya’s renowned athletic training centers.
As authorities launch an investigation, concerns grow over the increasing violence against female athletes in Kenya, a disturbing trend that has already claimed lives.
Dr. Owen Benach, the hospital’s senior director of clinical services, confirmed that Cheptegei remains fully sedated due to the severity of her injuries. Meanwhile, her father, Joseph Cheptegei, expressed his deep anguish, praying for justice for his daughter.
This attack comes in the wake of similar tragedies, such as the deaths of Damaris Mutua and Agnes Tirop, both of whom were killed by their partners in the Rift Valley town of Iten.
The cases have drawn attention to the urgent need to address and condemn the deadly misogyny that continues to plague female athletes in the region.
