Uganda, Sep 14 (V7N) – Uganda will bid farewell to Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei today, following her tragic death earlier this month. The 33-year-old athlete was set on fire by her partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, in a shocking case of gender-based violence. Cheptegei, who made her Olympic debut in the women's marathon at the Paris Games this summer, succumbed to severe burn injuries last week.
 
The brutal attack has shocked the East African community and triggered widespread condemnation from activists against the continued scourge of violence against women.
 
On Friday afternoon, under heavy rainfall, Cheptegei’s body crossed the Kenya-Uganda border as it made its way to Bukwo, her family’s village, about 380 kilometers (240 miles) northeast of Kampala. The burial will take place at 10:00 am (0700 GMT), with full military honors, as Cheptegei served as a sergeant in the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces, confirmed Beatrice Ayikoru, secretary general of Uganda’s Olympics Committee.
 
Her estranged husband, Simon Ayeko, who shared two daughters with her, expressed his grief. "We are devastated," he said, adding that he hadn’t yet told their children. "We will gradually tell them the truth," Ayeko told AFP.
 
Athletes from across the region have traveled to Bukwo to honor Cheptegei’s memory. "She was a vital figure in promoting athletics until her last days," recalled her former coach, Alex Malinga, who began training her in her teenage years.
 
Relationship in Decline
 
Reports indicate Cheptegei’s daughters witnessed the horrific attack. Police say Marangach broke into her home while she was at church with her children. Tensions had escalated between the two over property ownership, where she lived with her sister and daughters.
 
Moses Kipsiro, Cheptegei’s brother-in-law and former training partner, acknowledged the difficulties in their relationship. "Their relationship had deteriorated," Kipsiro said. Marangach later died from injuries he sustained during the assault.
 
Cheptegei’s death has once again placed the spotlight on gender-based violence in the region. In Kenya, 725 femicides were reported in 2022, according to UN data. A report by Kenya's National Bureau of Statistics found that 34% of women had experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
 
The sporting world has witnessed similar tragedies, with athletes Agnes Tirop and Damaris Mutua both losing their lives to domestic violence in recent years. Activists are urging for greater efforts to tackle what they describe as a femicide crisis.

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