The news of Rebecca Cheptegei has riled up the entire track and field community. Cheptegei, who is a 33-year-old marathon runner from Uganda, took part in the recently concluded Paris Olympics for what was her first time. Aiming for the gold, the marathon runner could not fulfill her expectations as Cheptegei finished 44th in the marathon. However, just a few weeks after the Olympics, Cheptegei is currently fighting a fatal battle. 

Cheptegei bought a piece of land in the Western Trans Nzoia County in Kenya. According to her parents, the 33-year-old chose the spot deliberately to have easy access to all the different athletic training facilities in Kenya. But alas! Little did she know that the same house that she bought would become the reason for her tragedy. 

Rebecca Cheptegei is 75% burned

Rebecca Cheptegei has been hospitalized after being burned by her former boyfriend. While the police are investigating the matter in detail, shocking details have come into the limelight. As per the official statement provided by the police commander, Jeremiah Ole Kosiom, Cheptegei’s attacker emptied an entire jerrican of petrol on the athlete. 

In the most gruesome turn of events, her alleged boyfriend then went on to set his former girlfriend ablaze. The official police statement obtained from the BBC stated, “The couple were heard quarreling outside their house. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her.”

As per the local administrator’s report, the duo have been going back and forth on the land on which Cheptegei’s house was for a long time. Immediately after suffering the burns, Cheptegei was taken to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. As per the doctor’s reports, Cheptegei has suffered a 75% burn, while her attacker too is said to have been spotted with burn injuries.

Dr. Owen Benach, the senior director of clinical services of the hospital, said, “A high-profile patient” had been “fully sedated because of the extent of the burns.” Well, this was not the only instance of an athlete suffering a gruesome fate in Kenya in recent times. 

Rising cases of athlete mishaps raise concerns in Kenya

While Joseph Cheptegei, Rebecca’s father, has asked for justice, there are more reasons for the Kenyan authorities to be concerned about. A surge in reports of acts of violence against female athletes has resulted in widespread tension in the area. Before Rebecca’s gruesome fate, back in 2022, Agnes Tirob was found dead by stabbing while Damaris Mutua was found strangled with a pillow in her home. Both incidents took place in the Rift Valley town of Iten. 

Surprisingly, in both cases, the partners of the athletes have been touted as prime suspects. While Tirop’s husband is facing charges, he has denied being associated with the murder. On the contrary, in the case of Mutua, her boyfriend is yet to be arrested by the police. Thus, with mysterious cases of violence on the rise, it is now up to the authorities to take prompt action and prosecute the ones at fault.