Thousands Mourn Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei After Tragic Death.
Thousands gathered to mourn the death of Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who tragically died after being attacked by her ex-partner. Cheptegei, 33, was set ablaze by her former boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, in north-west Kenya just under two weeks ago, and passed away in hospital four days later due to severe burns covering over 80% of her body. The brutal nature of the attack has left her family devastated and shocked many across the globe.
A sombre funeral ceremony took place in her home district of Bukwo, eastern Uganda, where soldiers carried her coffin, draped in the Ugandan flag, and fired a three-volley salute in honour of her service in the Ugandan armed forces. Fellow athletes, many dressed in black T-shirts bearing the slogan “Say no to gender-based violence,” joined the mourners to pay their respects.
Cheptegei’s death has highlighted the growing issue of violence against women in Kenya, where several female athletes have been victims of domestic violence in recent years. Kenya’s Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, admitted, “We are guilty as [a] government, but also the community is guilty,” urging greater awareness and action to prevent such tragedies.
Cheptegei, who represented Uganda in the marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was a celebrated athlete who inspired many young people in her home district to pursue athletics. Despite finishing 44th in what would be her final race, she was revered as a “champion” in her community. In 2022, she won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand.
Her coffin was viewed by family members, friends, and anti-gender-based violence activists at a funeral home in Eldoret, Kenya, before being transported to her father’s homestead for burial. Her two daughters, Charity and Joy, attended the funeral, alongside her parents, Joseph and Agnes, who remembered her as a kind-hearted daughter who became the breadwinner for their extended family.
Cheptegei’s death is the third high-profile killing of a female athlete in Kenya in recent years, following the murders of world-record holder Agnes Tirop and Damaris Mutua. These tragedies have sparked calls for stronger protection for female athletes, who are increasingly becoming victims of violence as they break traditional gender roles.
Joan Chelimo, co-founder of Tirop’s Angels, an organisation dedicated to raising awareness of violence against women, noted, “Female athletes are becoming more independent, financially independent… but we don’t want this to happen to any other woman.”
As Uganda and the world mourn the loss of Rebecca Cheptegei, her legacy as an Olympian and a champion for women continues to resonate, with calls to ensure no other woman suffers the same fate.
BBC
