A Ugandan athlete was allegedly viciously attacked and set on fire by her boyfriend just weeks after competing in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Rebecca Cheptegei, a 33-year-old marathon runner who was living in Kenya, is hospitalized in critical condition with burns to 75 percent of her body. According to the BBC, Cheptegei's boyfriend Dickson Ndiema allegedly doused her in gasoline and set her on fire due to an apparent disagreement over land she had purchased in Trans Nzoia county. She was said to have bought the land to be closer to the athletic training centers of Kenya.
Cheptegei had been returning from church with her two children when the attack occurred. A report filed by the local police chief, Jeremiah ole Kosiom, stated that the couple could be heard arguing over the land before the fire started.
"During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her," Kosiom told local reporters. Neighbors reportedly intervened and helped save her.
Ndiema likewise sustained burn injuries and is receiving treatment at the same hospital, the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret city. Dr. Owen Benach, senior director of clinical services at the hospital, told reporters that "a high-profile patient" had been "fully sedated because of the extent of the burns." He added that the hospital was well-equipped to treat their extensive injuries.
Cheptegei finished in 44th place for the women's marathon at the recent Olympics. Prior to that, she was won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand back in 2022.
