The 33-year-old marathon runner had only recently returned home to northwest Kenya after competing in the Paris Olympics. According to reports, Cheptegei purchased a plot of land in Trans Nzoia County and built a house in order to be closer to Kenya’s elite athletics training centers.
Police reports state her ex-boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, attacked her Sunday after the former couple had been arguing about the piece of property. Ndiema reportedly doused Cheptegei, a mother of two, in gasoline before lighting her on fire.
She suffered burns to more than 75% of her body.
Cheptegei was rushed to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital where she was treated for her burns, but the Olympian “had a severe percentage of burns, which unfortunately led to multi-organ failure, which ultimately led to her passing this morning at 05:30 [02:30 GMT]”.
Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, spoke to the local media outside the hospital calling upon the Kenyan government to ensure justice was served.
“We have lost our breadwinner,” he said, while wondering how her children would be able to complete their education now that their mother was gone.
James Kirwa, a fellow Ugandan athlete, visited Rebecca in the hospital and told the BBC how supportive she was of other athletes.
She “was a very affable person. [She] helped us all even financially and she brought me training shoes when she came back from the Olympics. She was like an older sister to me.”
Ndiema was also admitted to the hospital, but with less severe burns and is said to be improving. An investigation in ongoing.
