A man who attacked Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei has died from injuries he sustained during the assault, according to officials from the Kenyan hospital where he was being treated.
Police identified the attacker as Dickson Ndiema Marangach, who assaulted Cheptegei at her home in western Kenya on September 1.
The athlete, who suffered burns on 80% of her body, passed away last week.
Marangach, who also sustained burns on 30% of his body, had been in critical condition at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret.
A hospital official confirmed his death, stating that a full statement would be released later.
The attack on 33-year-old Cheptegei, witnessed by her daughters, has sparked widespread outrage, bringing renewed attention to the issue of gender-based violence in Kenya.
Cheptegei, who had recently competed in the Paris Olympics, finished 44th in the women’s marathon.
Police reports suggest Marangach entered Cheptegei’s home in Endebess, near the Ugandan border, while she was at church with her children. The assault is believed to have stemmed from a property dispute.
Cheptegei’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, revealed that Marangach had bought five litres of petrol, hid in a chicken coop, and then attacked Cheptegei, setting her on fire.
Joseph Cheptegei further stated that when his daughter called for help, Marangach threatened her sister with a machete, forcing her to flee.
Police said the couple had a history of family disputes.
Kenya has a high incidence of violence against women, with 725 femicide cases recorded in 2022, according to the UN.
A 2023 report from Kenya’s National Bureau of Statistics revealed that 34% of women have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
Cheptegei’s death follows other tragic incidents involving athletes, including the killings of record-breaking Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop in 2021 and Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Mutua in 2022. In both cases, the athletes’ partners were implicated.
Tirop’s estranged partner is currently on trial for her murder.
Rebecca Cheptegei is set to be buried on September 14 near her family home in eastern Uganda, as announced by the country’s Olympic Committee.
