Body of Ugandan Olympic athlete set on fire by her partner is received by family

The body of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei — who died after being set on fire by her partner in Kenya — has been received by her family and anti-femicide crusaders ahead of her burial.

Ms Cheptegei’s family met with dozens of activists on Friday who had marched to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital’s morgue in the western city of Eldoret while chanting anti-femicide slogans.

She is the fourth female athlete to have been killed by her partner in Kenya in yet another case of gender-based violence in recent years.

Viola Cheptoo, the founder of Tirop Angels – an organisation that was formed in honour of athlete Agnes Tirop, who was stabbed to death in 2021, said stakeholders need to ensure this is the last death of an athlete due to gender-based violence.

All solidarity with Rebecca Cheptegei's family and all other women whose lives have been lost to femicide today. #EndFemicideKe #TotalShutDownKe #WeAreNotSafe pic.twitter.com/wgpyKU00oE

— EndFemicideKe (@Endfemicideke) September 13, 2024

“We are here to say that enough is enough, we are tired of burying our sisters due to GBV,” she said.

It was a sombre mood at the morgue as athletes and family members viewed Ms Cheptegei’s body which sustained 80% of burns after she was doused with petrol by her partner Dickson Ndiema.

Ndiema sustained 30 per cent burns on his body and later died in hospital.

Ndiema and Ms Cheptegei were said to have quarrelled over a piece of land that the athlete bought in Kenya, according to a report filed by the local chief.

Ms Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics less than a month before the attack. She finished in 44th place.

We strongly condemn the murder of Rebecca Cheptegei, the third elite runner to be