The former partner of Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, accused of killing her in a horrific attack, has died from the burns he sustained. The tragic incident occurred on September 1, when Cheptegei, a 33-year-old athlete who competed in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, was doused in petrol and set on fire by her ex-boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema Marangach. Cheptegei, who suffered severe burns covering over 75% of her body, died four days later.
Marangach succumbed to his injuries on Monday at 7:50 p.m. local time, according to Daniel Lang’at, spokesperson for Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. The same hospital had treated Cheptegei before she passed away. “He died from his injuries, the burns he sustained,” Lang’at confirmed.
Cheptegei, who finished 44th at the Paris Olympics, is the third elite female athlete to be killed in Kenya since October 2021, raising serious concerns about domestic violence in the country. Her death has shone a spotlight on the risks female athletes face, particularly those with prize money that surpasses local incomes. Rights groups warn that women in Kenya’s running community are especially vulnerable to exploitation and violence from men attracted to their financial success.
According to 2022 government data, nearly 34% of Kenyan women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence, with married women at higher risk. The report highlighted that 41% of married women in Kenya have faced violence, illustrating the country’s pervasive issue of domestic abuse. Globally, the scale of violence against women remains stark—UN Women’s 2023 study revealed that a woman is killed by a family member every 11 minutes.
Cheptegei’s death has sparked further outrage and grief in Kenya, prompting renewed calls for action against domestic violence and greater protection for women, especially those in high-risk communities.