Olympic Runner Rebecca Cheptegei Dies After Partner 'Sets Her On Fire'. Report Reveals Details
Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei died in Kenya on Thursday, four days after being set on fire by her boyfriend, medics and Ugandan athletics officials said. It was the latest horrific incident of gender-based violence in the East African country, where activists have warned of a femicide epidemic. "We have learnt of the sad passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei... following a vicious attack by her boyfriend," the president of the Uganda Olympic Committee, Donald Rukare, said in a post on X. "This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure."