Tears as athlete Cheptegei's body leaves MTRH

The body of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who tragically died after being set on fire by her partner in Kenya, was received by her family and anti-femicide activists on Friday, ahead of her burial which is scheduled for tomorrow in Uganda.

Cheptegei’s family, along with dozens of activists, gathered at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital morgue in Eldoret, chanting anti-femicide slogans. This event marks a somber moment, as Cheptegei becomes the fourth female athlete in Kenya to be killed by a partner, highlighting the persistent issue of gender-based violence (GBV) in the region.

Viola Cheptoo, founder of Tirop Angels—an organization established in memory of athlete Agnes Tirop, who was murdered in 2021—spoke out against the ongoing violence. “We are here to say that enough is enough. We are tired of burying our sisters due to GBV,” she declared.

The mood at the morgue was heavy as athletes and family members viewed Cheptegei’s body, which was severely burned, sustaining 80% of injuries after being doused with gasoline by her partner, Dickson Ndiema. Ndiema, who also suffered burns covering 30% of his body, later succumbed to his injuries. The couple had reportedly quarreled over a piece of land that Cheptegei had purchased in Kenya, according to a local chief’s report.

_{Inset: Family and friends paying their last respects to slain athlete Rebecca Cheptegei at MTRH Eldoret.}  

Cheptegei had competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics less than a month before the attack, finishing in 44th place. Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, stated that the body would be briefly taken to their home in Endebess before proceeding to Bukwo in eastern Uganda for a night vigil and burial on Saturday. “We are in the final part of giving my daughter the last respect,” a visibly distraught Joseph said.

He also revealed that Ndiema had been stalking and threatening Cheptegei, and the family had previously alerted the police. This case underscores the alarming rates of violence against women in Kenya, where nearly 41% of dating or married women have experienced physical or sexual violence from a partner, according to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022.