‘Another life lost’: Rebecca Cheptegei’s death highlights violence against sportswomen in Kenya

Tributes have been paid to the Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who has died days after she was set on fire following an argument with a former boyfriend in Kenya.

Cheptegei, who competed in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, suffered severe burns on more than 75 per cent of her body after she was doused in petrol and set ablaze outside her house, police said.

Police in northwest Kenya, where Cheptegei lived and trained, say an investigation into her death is underway. Authorities said Cheptegei and her ex-boyfriend were heard arguing over land before she was set on fire.

Cheptegei, who was 33, is the latest victim of attacks on female athletes in Kenya.

In 2021, Agnes Tirop, a rising athletics star in Kenya and two-time World Championship bronze medallist, was found dead in her home with stab wounds to her neck. Her husband was charged with her murder but pleaded not guilty, and the case is ongoing.

In 2022, Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Muthee Mutua was found dead with a postmortem report stating that she was strangled. Mutua’s boyfriend was identified as the main suspect and police are still searching for him.

Tirop’s death at the age of 25 shocked Kenya and led to current and former athletes setting up the non-profit charity foundation Tirop’s Angels to combat domestic violence against women and girls.

“We are heartbroken by the tragic murder of Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei,” a social media post from Tirop’s Angels said on Thursday.

“Another life lost to gender-based violence. Tirop’s Angels condemns this horrific act and calls for swift justice.”

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One of the founders of Tirop’s Angels, Joan Chelimo, told the Reuters news agency that female athletes in the country were at high risk of exploitation and violence by men because of their money and status.

“As an athlete and advocate against gender-based violence, I am deeply shaken and outraged by the horrific attack that took the life of Rebecca Cheptegei,” Ms Chelimo said in a post on Instagram.

“This senseless violence must end. I stand in solidarity with all survivors and demand justice for Rebecca and for those whose suffering remains unheard.

“My commitment to raising awareness and working toward a future where everyone can live without fear of violence remains unwavering.”

Thousands of Kenyan women took to the streets in protest earlier this year in the largest demonstrations ever held in the country against gender-based violence.

The marches against femicide took place following reports that 14 women had been killed in January 2024 alone as a result of gender-based violence.

Cheptegei, who finished 44th in the marathon in Paris, had bought land in the area of Trans-Nzoia to be near the many training centres in the county.

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A report filed by the local authorities stated that Cheptegei and her boyfriend were heard fighting over the land where the house was built before the fire started.

Trans-Nzoia County police commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said that Cheptegei’s boyfriend bought a jerry can of petrol, poured it on her and set her ablaze.

Donald Rukare, president of the Uganda Olympic Committee, said Cheptegei was the victim of a “cowardly and senseless act”.

“We have learnt of the sad passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei following a vicious attack by her boyfriend,” Mr Rukare said. “May her gentle soul rest in peace and we strongly condemn violence against women.”

Kenya’s sports minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, said Cheptegei’s death was a loss “to the entire region”.

“This tragedy is a stark reminder that we must do more to combat gender-based violence in our society, which in recent years has reared its ugly head in elite sporting circles,” he said.

Middle-distance runner Eilish McColgan, who has competed at four Olympics for Team GB, posted on Twitter/X: “This is heartbreaking.

“Even more heartbreaking that it's not the first time the athletics community has lost such an incredible female athlete to domestic violence. It needs to stop.”