Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, is fighting for her life in a Kenyan hospital after allegedly being doused with petrol and set on fire by a former boyfriend. The attack, which occurred at her home in Endebess, western Kenya, has left her with burns covering more than 75% of her body, according to local police.
Cheptegei, who competed in the recent Paris Olympics and finished 44th in the marathon, was reportedly rescued by neighbors following the brutal incident on Sunday. The alleged attacker also sustained severe burns and both are now receiving treatment at Moi Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
Local police chief Jeremiah ole Kosiom confirmed that the couple had been heard quarreling outside their home before the boyfriend allegedly poured a liquid, believed to be petrol, on Cheptegei and set her on fire. The two had reportedly been arguing over a piece of land that Cheptegei had purchased in Trans Nzoia county, where she had built a house to be near Kenya’s renowned athletic training centers.
The incident has sparked renewed concerns over the rising cases of violence against female athletes in Kenya, some of which have ended in tragedy. Just two years ago, another female runner, Damaris Mutua, was found strangled in her home in the Rift Valley town of Iten, and in the same town months earlier, record-breaking long-distance runner Agnes Tirop was discovered stabbed to death.
The violence has not been limited to female athletes. In December last year, Ugandan athlete Benjamin Kiplagat was fatally stabbed by assailants in Eldoret.
As police continue their investigation into the attack on Cheptegei, the athletic community in Kenya and Uganda is left reeling from yet another act of violence against one of its own.
Melissa Enoch
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