Father of burnt Ugandan Olympic marathon runner speaks

After returning to Kenya following her participation at the Paris Olympics, where she represented Uganda in the marathon, Cheptegei was attacked in her house in the western Trans Nzoia County, according to police statements.

Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said her former partner — alleged to be ex-boyfriend Dickson Ndiema — had bought a can of petrol, poured it on her and set her ablaze during a disagreement on Sunday.

Her father Joseph Cheptegei, speaking from hospital alongside his other daughter Evalyne Chelagat, has claimed that the two were fighting over her land at Endebes in Trans Nzoia shortly before the alleged attack occurred.

“They were just friends and I wonder why he wanted to take away things belonging to my daughter,” Cheptegei lamented, revealing also that his daughter’s two children are fathered by a different man living in Uganda.

He went on to claim that his daughter and Dickson — who he alleges have been separated for a long time — are involved in a case being investigated by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Kenya.

According to him, the ex-boyfriend sneaked into his daughter’s home to stage the attack.

“The boyfriend is believed to have sneaked into the compound at around 2pm on Sunday while the wife and the children were in Church,” Police Commander Kosiom told the media.

“They were heard quarrelling. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her. The suspect was also caught by the fire and sustained serious burns.”

Dr Owen Menach, who is treating Cheptegei at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital has revealed the athlete is in critical condition and fighting for her life.

Sharing that Cheptegei has sustained external and inhalation burns, he added, “she is a high-profile patient and we are doing all we can to save her life.”

According to Dr. Menach, the alleged ex-boyfriend attacker has also been admitted to the same hospital with 30 per cent burns and is in a more stable condition.

The Ugandan Athletics Federation has confirmed the attack and expressed deep concern. In a statement, they said, “We regret to announce that our athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who competed at the Olympics, has suffered severe injuries and is hospitalized at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. This follows an incident involving her Kenyan boyfriend allegedly pouring petrol and setting fire on her.”

Neighbours helped to extinguish the flames, according to local reports, with both being admitted to hospital with extensive burns.

Police discovered a five-litre jerry can, a bag, and a burned phone at the scene of the incident, according to Kenyan newspaper The Nation.

The local police chief stated that the couple had been heard fighting over the land where the house was built before the fire was started.

Cheptegei was reported to have bought the land in Trans Nzoia county, located close to the Uganadan border, and built a house.

The house is close to several training centres in Kenya.

Cheptegei finished 44th in the women’s marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games last month.

The 33-year-old had also won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022.

In 2023, Ugandan Olympic runner and steeplechaser Benjamin Kiplagat was found dead with stab wounds.

In 2022, Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Muthee was found dead with a postmortem report stating that she was strangled in the town of Iten.

Muthee’s death came months after two-time World Championship medallist Agnes Tirop was found stabbed to death in the same town.