By Dozens of mourners gathered Saturday in eastern Uganda to pay their final respects to Rebecca Cheptegei, the 33-year-old Olympic athlete who died last week in Kenya after a horrific attack by her partner.
The somber ceremony, held at the local administration hall in Kapchorwa district near the Kenya border, preceded Cheptegei’s burial in her ancestral village. Local leaders and community members awaited the arrival of her body, which was returned to Uganda on Friday following a poignant procession in Kenya.
Cheptegei succumbed to her injuries on September 3 after suffering 80% burns in an attack by Dickson Ndiema, who doused her in gasoline at her home in Trans-Nzoia County, western Kenya. Ndiema, who sustained 30% burns, later died from his injuries. According to local authorities, the attack stemmed from a dispute over a piece of land Cheptegei had purchased in Kenya.
The athlete’s death has sent shockwaves through the East African athletic community and beyond, intensifying calls for better protection of female runners facing exploitation and abuse. Cheptegei is the fourth female athlete to have been killed by her partner in Kenya in recent years, underscoring a disturbing pattern of gender-based violence.
Don Rukare, chairman of the National Council of Sports of Uganda, condemned the attack on X (formerly Twitter), calling it “a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete.”
Uganda’s First Lady Janet Museveni, who also serves as the country’s education and sports minister, described the incident as “deeply disturbing” and called for justice.
The return of Cheptegei’s body to Uganda on Friday was marked by a street march in the western Kenyan town of Eldoret, where dozens of activists demanded an end to physical violence against female athletes. The procession highlighted the growing concern over the safety of women in sports across the region.
Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics just a month before her death, finishing 44th. She had represented Uganda in various international competitions throughout her career.
The tragedy has brought attention to the broader issue of violence against women in East Africa. According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, four in ten women, or an estimated 41% of dating or married Kenyan women, have experienced physical or sexual violence from their current or most recent partner.
As mourners bid farewell to Cheptegei, her death serves as a grim reminder of the dangers faced by female athletes and women in general. It has sparked calls for increased measures to protect women in sports and society at large, with many hoping that her tragic story will lead to meaningful change in addressing gender-based violence in the region.
The incident also highlights the close ties between Ugandan and Kenyan athletics, as many Ugandan athletes train in Kenya due to its superior facilities and its status as an athletics powerhouse. As the athletic community mourns the loss of a promising talent, questions arise about the safety and well-being of athletes training across borders.
AP
