A Ugandan Olympian was in intensive care unit in Kenya on Tuesday suffering 80 percent burns after being doused with petrol and set on fire allegedly by her partner, the latest horrific incident of gender-based violence.
Rebecca Cheptegei placed 44th in the marathon at the Paris Olympics
Long-distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei was assaulted after her Kenyan boyfriend Dickson Ndiema Marangach reportedly snuck into her home in Endebess in the western county of Trans-Nzoia at around 2:00 pm on Sunday while she and her children were at church, police said.
The attack took place just three weeks after the 33-year-old took part in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics, where she placed 44th.
“Dickson, who had procured petrol, began pouring (it) on Rebecca before he set her ablaze,” a police report said Monday, adding that he was also injured by the flames.
It said that neighbours had put out the fire and taken the pair to nearby Kitale County Referral Hospital where they were admitted with “multiple burns”.
They were later transferred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in the Rift Valley city of Eldoret, where Cheptegei was admitted to the intensive care unit on Monday.
“She sustained more than 80 percent burns in the attack,” the hospital’s acting CEO Owen Menach told reporters.
“The burns were really, really severe, some of them are really deep especially right to the muscles in the back,” he said.
“We’re doing all we can to save her life.”
A member of staff at the hospital, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, said that Cheptegei’s condition looked “serious with facial burns and bandages”.
The police report did not mention if Cheptegei’s children were hurt in the attack. Local media reported that her father and sister were at the hospital.
The Ugandan athlete and Marangach were a couple who “constantly had family wrangles”, the police report said.
Acting hospital CEO Menach said that Marangach had also been admitted for treatment after sustaining burns to 30 percent of his body.
Cheptegei is believed to have bought land and built a house in the Trans-Nzoia area which lies on the border with Uganda, accordimg to reports
Donald Rukare, president of the Uganda Olympic Committee, said the athlete was “viciously attacked” and wished her a full recovery.
“Let’s all say NO to violence especially against women. This is totally unacceptable and we condemn this totally uncalled for attack,” he posted on X.
