Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei has died days after being attacked by her former boyfriend.
The 33-year-old Olympian, who competed in the Paris Olympics, suffered extensive burns in the attack on Sunday in north-west Kenya.
Police are investigating the incident, which is believed to have been motivated by a dispute over land. The suspect, Cheptegei’s former boyfriend, is also hospitalized with injuries.
Cheptegei’s death has sparked concerns about violence against female athletes in Kenya. Several other athletes have been killed in recent years.
Cheptegei’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, called for justice and said his daughter was “very supportive.” The head of Uganda’s athletics federation also condemned the attack and expressed condolences to Cheptegei’s family.
Dr. Owen Menach, the head of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, said Cheptegei died after her organs failed. The suspect’s condition is improving, but he remains in intensive care.
Cheptegei won the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand in 2022.
Her death comes two years after the killings of other East African athletes, Agnes Tirop and Damaris Mutua, with their partners identified as the main suspects in both cases.
(With information from the BBC)
