Thousands mourn Ugandan Olympian killed by ex-partner

Thousands of mourners have gathered in eastern Uganda for the funeral of Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who tragically died after being set ablaze by her former boyfriend.

Dickson Ndiema attacked Cheptegei with petrol just under two weeks ago outside her home in north-west Kenya, near where she trained.

The 33-year-old athlete’s death, and the brutal nature of the attack, has left her family devastated and shocked many around the world. The incident highlights the severe issue of violence against women in Kenya, with several female athletes falling victim in recent years.

At the somber and emotional funeral held in a school field in Bukwo, Cheptegei’s home district, fellow athletes wore black T-shirts with the slogan “Say No to Gender-Based Violence.”

Local leaders conducted a memorial service with her coffin displayed and draped in the Ugandan flag. They observed a moment of silence and gave a standing ovation to honor the late athlete.

Councillors described Cheptegei as living a “simple and focused life” and noted her role in inspiring local youth to take up athletics. They also proposed naming a road and a local sports venue in her honor.

Cheptegei will be buried later on Saturday at her father’s homestead nearby.

She passed away in the hospital four days after the attack, suffering burns on more than 80% of her body, which led to multi-organ failure. Ndiema, who also sustained burns from the petrol, died on Monday.

He attacked the mother-of-two after she returned from a service at a church, the God’s Dwelling Ministry.

The pastor there, Caroline Atieno, remembers a “wonderful… God-fearing person”.

After learning about the incident, she managed to speak with Cheptegei on the phone while she was in the hospital.

The athlete initially inquired about her children, who were reported to be well, as mentioned by the pastor on the BBC’s Africa Daily podcast.

Cheptegei then expressed her distress about her attacker, saying, “You mean Dickson cannot remember anything I have done for him? Why is he setting me on fire? Why has he done this to me?”

On Friday, family members, friends, and activists against gender-based violence gathered at a funeral home in Eldoret, Kenya, to view her coffin before it was transported.

Her mother, Agnes Cheptegei, visibly distressed and covering her face, wore a souvenir bag from the recent Paris Olympics, where the athlete finished 44th in the marathon. She also wore a T-shirt with the slogan, “Being a woman should not be a death sentence.”

The mother-of-two was the third female athlete to be killed in Kenya in the past three years. In each case, current or former romantic partners have been identified as the main suspects by police. Agnes Tirop, a world-record holder, was stabbed to death in 2021, and six months later, Damaris Mutua was strangled.

The rise in attacks on women in Kenya is a growing concern. A national survey in 2022 reported that at least 34% of women had experienced physical violence. Some observers suggest that female athletes are becoming increasingly vulnerable.

“[This is] because they go against traditional gender norms where the woman is just in the kitchen and just cooking and taking care of kids. But now female athletes are becoming more independent, financially independent,” said Joan Chelimo, who co-founded Tirop’s Angels to help highlight the issue of violence against women.

“We don’t want this to happen to any other woman, whether an athlete or from the village, or a young girl,” Rachel Kamweru, a spokesperson of the government’s department for gender and affirmative action, told the BBC.

When Cheptegei first got into running, she joined the Uganda People’s Defence Forces in 2008 which helped support her.

Her last race was at the Paris Olympics. Although she came 44th people in her home area still referred to her as “champion”.

She won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022.

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