Ugandan Athlete’s Ex-Boyfriend Dies After Setting Her Ablaze
A shocking update has emerged in the case of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who was brutally set on fire by her ex-boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema.
Ndiema, who had been admitted to the hospital with severe burns, has succumbed to his injuries and passed away. He died on Monday night at the intensive care unit where he had been admitted with more than 30 percent burns on his body.
“It’s true he has died from the [burn] injuries,” Dr Owen Menach from Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital told the BBC.
The attack, which occurred over a week ago, was reportedly motivated by a dispute over a small piece of land in north-west Kenya.
Cheptegei, a 33-year-old marathon runner, suffered fatal injuries and died shortly after the attack. Ndiema was named as the main suspect and was facing murder charges.
This tragic incident is the third case of an athlete being killed in Kenya in the past three years, with intimate partners being the main suspects in all cases.
The deaths of Agnes Tirop and Damaris Mutua in 2021 and 2022, respectively, show the alarming trend of violence against women in Kenya.
According to a national survey, at least 34 percent of women in Kenya experienced physical violence in 2022.
Rebecca Cheptegei will be laid to rest on Saturday at her ancestral home in Bukwo, Uganda.
Ugandan Athlete’s Ex-Boyfriend Dies After Setting Her Ablaze is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
