Ugandan athlete Cheptegei killed in domestic violence incident

A Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei has died in Kenya four days after being set on fire by her partner. Cheptegei was part of Uganda’s Paris 2024 Olympics athletics team. Leon Ssenyange reports.

The 33-year-old Ugandan athlete, who placed 44th behind Dutch winner Sifan Hassan on 11 August, had been in critical condition at a hospital in neighboring Kenya. Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare confirmed the marathoner’s death on Thursday, 5 September 2024.

The Olympics website said that the Ugandan Athletics Federation also announced her death on the same platform, stating: “We are deeply saddened to report that our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei, tragically lost her life this morning due to domestic violence. We strongly condemn such acts and demand justice.”

Local Kenyan police officer Jeremiah ole Kosiom informed the Associated Press on Monday that Cheptegei’s former boyfriend had doused her with petrol and set her on fire following a disagreement on Sunday.