Rebecca Cheptegei: Thousands mourn Ugandan Olympian killed by ex-partner

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Thousands mourn Ugandan Olympian killed by ex-partner

14 September 2024

Anne Soy & Damian Zane
BBC News, Bukwo & London

Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who was set ablaze by her former boyfriend and later died has been buried in her father's homestead in eastern Uganda.

As she was also a member of Uganda's armed forces, soldiers carried the coffin and she was given a three-volley salute.

Dickson Ndiema attacked Cheptegei with petrol just under a fortnight ago outside her home in neighbouring north-west Kenya, close to where she trained.

The 33-year-old's killing, and its brutal nature, left her family distraught and shocked many others across the world.

It underscored the high levels of violence against women in Kenya and the fact that several female athletes have been victims in recent years.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0494wl6lkgo


Rebecca Cheptegei's last race was at the Paris Olympics (EPA)

[Demovictory9]

1. Karma! He died too

.

The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) confirmed that he died on Monday night in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where he had been admitted. He succumbed to respiratory failure as a result of severe airway burns and sepsis.

Ndiema allegedly attacked Cheptegei at her home in Trans Nzoia, dousing her with petrol and setting her on fire, which also resulted in injuries to himself.

[niyad]

3. I hope he was in excruciating agony every single second.

[niyad]

2. There simply are no words for the horror and hatred that killed her.