The man accused of setting his ex-girlfriend, Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, on fire in an attack that proved fatal has died in Eldoret hospital of his own burns sustained during the incident.
Dickson Ndiema died at the Moi Teaching Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, where Cheptegei also died several days after suffering burns in the dispute with her former boyfriend, which was allegedly over land.
Neighbors reported hearing voices before seeing Ndiema pour gasoline over Cheptegei as she returned from church with her two daughters on Aug. 31.
He, too, was seriously injured in the attack and succumbed in the hospital’s intensive care unit to complications from the burns, a hospital official said Tuesday.
“He developed respiratory failure as a result of the severe airway burns and sepsis that led to his eventual death,” Philip Kirwa, the hospital’s CEO, said in a statement.
Cheptegei suffered burns to more than 80% of her body and died on Sept. 5 of multiple organ failure. Police confirmed they were still investigating the incident.
Cheptegei placed 44th in the marathon at the recent Paris Olympics and
According to reports,little was known about Ndiema, but that the two had not been together for some time before the attack took place.
Cheptegei a member of the Uganda People’s Defense Force, is to be buried on Sept. 14 with military honors in Bukwo, Uganda, with dignitaries from both Kenya and Uganda in attendance.
