NAIROBI, Kenya: The death of Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei, following a brutal attack by her partner, has once again brought the issue of gender-based violence to the forefront in East Africa.
Cheptegei, a mother of two, was attacked by her partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, who poured petrol over her at her home in western Kenya on September 1.
The 33-year-old athlete sustained 80 percent burns and died from her injuries last week. Marangach, who also suffered burns during the attack, succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment in the ICU at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya.
The attack occurred just weeks after Cheptegei made her Olympic debut in the women’s marathon at the Paris Games, finishing 44th. Local reports state that Marangach sneaked into her home while she was at church with her children. Cheptegei’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, revealed that Marangach had a dispute over the property where she lived with her sister and daughters.
According to him, Marangach bought five liters of petrol, hid in a chicken coop, and then attacked her. When Cheptegei called her sister for help, Marangach threatened her with a machete.
The death of Cheptegei has sparked outrage and sorrow in Kenya and Uganda, where gender-based violence remains a significant issue. According to a 2023 report by Kenya’s National Bureau of Statistics, 34 percent of women in Kenya have experienced physical violence since the age of 15. In 2022, there were 725 femicide cases reported in Kenya, highlighting the severity of violence against women in the country. This tragedy follows the deaths of other female athletes, such as record-breaking Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop in 2021 and Kenyan-born Bahrain athlete Damaris Mutua in 2022. In both cases, their ex-partners were implicated in their deaths.
Cheptegei’s death underscores the urgent need for greater awareness and action against gender-based violence. Her story is a stark reminder of the dangers women face, even those who have reached the heights of athletic achievement. The Ugandan Olympic Committee announced that Cheptegei will be buried on September 14 near her family home in eastern Uganda.
Meanwhile, the East African community mourns another life lost to the endemic problem of violence against women, calling for stronger measures to protect women and ensure justice for victims.
