Ugandan Marathoner Rebecca Cheptegei Fights for Life After Being Set on Fire in Kenya; Daughter Witnesses Attack
Rebecca Cheptegei, a 33-year-old Ugandan long-distance runner, is fighting for her life after being set on fire by a Kenyan man, Dickson Ndiema Marangach. The attack occurred on Sunday at her home in Endebess, Trans-Nzoia County. Cheptegei, who recently competed in the Paris Olympics, suffered burns to 80% of her body and is currently receiving treatment at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. Hospital officials are doing everything possible to save her.
On Wednesday, there was no official medical update from Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital regarding Rebecca Cheptegei’s condition. However, a medical counsellor at the hospital, speaking anonymously to AFP due to restrictions on press communication, revealed that Cheptegei’s condition had deteriorated. The counsellor indicated that Cheptegei had developed sepsis, a bacterial infection, as a result of severe injuries to her stomach and lower body.
On Wednesday, Peter Tum, a top official from Kenya’s sports ministry, announced that both the Ugandan and Kenyan governments are collaborating on Rebecca Cheptegei’s care. Tum stated that efforts are underway to airlift Cheptegei from Eldoret to Nairobi for specialized treatment but did not provide additional details. Meanwhile, Kenyan media reported that one of Cheptegei’s daughters witnessed the attack at their home.
A distressing incident reported by Kenya’s The Standard reveals a girl, who remains unnamed, describing how she was kicked while attempting to rescue her mother from a fire. Despite her cries for help, the neighbor who responded could not extinguish the flames. Additionally, The Standard reported that Cheptegei, the individual involved, has two daughters, aged nine and eleven.
Marangach was injured in an incident, suffering 30 percent burns. Initially identified as Cheptegei’s partner by police, it was later clarified by Cheptegei’s father that her spouse is a Ugandan not currently in Kenya. Cheptegei, who finished 44th in the women’s marathon at the Paris Games on August 11, is now at the center of this assault case. This incident follows the tragic deaths of Kenyan athletes Damaris Mutua in Iten in 2022 and Agnes Tirop, who was found stabbed in 2021. Tirop’s estranged husband is currently on trial for her murder, which he denies. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics reported in January 2023 that 34 percent of women in Kenya have faced physical violence since age 15.
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