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Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died days after being doused in petrol and set on fire by a former boyfriend.
The 33-year-old Ugandan marathon runner, who competed in the recent Paris Olympics, had suffered extensive burns after Sunday's attack.
The authorities in north-west Kenya, where Cheptegei lived and trained, said she was targeted after returning home from church with her two daughters.
Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, said that he had lost a “very supportive” daughter. Fellow Ugandan athlete James Kirwa told the BBC about her generosity and how she had helped out other runners financially.
A report filed by a local administrator alleged the athlete and her ex-partner had been wrangling over a piece of land. Police say an investigation is under way.
Cheptegei, from a region just across the border in Uganda, is said to have bought a plot in Trans Nzoia county and built a house to be near Kenya's elite athletics training centres.
Attacks on women have become a major concern in Kenya. In 2022 at least 34% of women said they had experienced physical violence, according to a national survey.
"This tragedy is a stark reminder of the urgent need to combat gender-based violence, which has increasingly affected even elite sports," Kenya's Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said.
Uganda's athletics federation said in a post on X: "We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence. As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest In Peace."
"This is heart-breaking. Even more heart-breaking that it's not the first time the athletics community has lost such an incredible female athlete to domestic violence," British Olympian runner Eilish McColgan wrote on X.
Cheptegei's former boyfriend was also admitted to the hospital in Eldoret - but with less severe burns. He is still in intensive care but his condition was "improving and stable", Moi hospital's Dr Owen Menach said.
Earlier, local police chief Jeremiah ole Kosiom was quoted by local media as saying: "The couple were heard quarrelling outside their house. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her."
"This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure," the head of Uganda's Olympic committee Donald Rukare said on X.
Talking to reporters earlier in the week, her father said that he prayed "for justice for my daughter", adding that he had never seen such an inhumane act in his life.
Uganda’s Sports Minister Peter Ogwang said arrangements were being made to transport Cheptegei’s body back to Uganda for burial.
"We mourn with the family as a country," he said.
He added that Cheptegei had wanted to talk to him when they were at the Olympics together.
"She [said she] had a family problem."
Cheptegei finished 44th in the marathon at the recent Paris Olympics.
She also won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022.
Source:BBC
