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Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan athlete who appeared in the 2024 Paris Olympics is in critical condition after being set on fire by her boyfriend in Kenya.
Cheptegei who just returned home after the Paris Olympics, was attacked in her house in the western Trans Nzoia County, according to police statements.
The 33 year old distance runner suffered 75 percent burns on her body after her boyfriend doused her in gasoline and set her on fire.
Trans Nzoia County Police Commander, Jeremiah ole Kosiom said Monday that the attack happened during a dispute between Cheptegei and her boyfriend Dickson Ndiema.
“The couple were heard quarreling outside their house,” he told journalists, per BBC. “During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her.”
Speaking from the hospital, her father Joseph Cheptegei claimed that the two were fighting over her land at Endebes in Trans Nzoia shortly before the alleged attack occurred.
“They were just friends and I wonder why he wanted to take away things belonging to my daughter”, Cheptegei Snr told Kenyan newspaper The Star, revealing that his daughter’s two children are fathered by a different man living in Uganda.
He claimed that Cheptegei and Ndiema, who he alleges have been separated for a long time are involved in a case being investigated by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Kenya.
According to Cheptegei Snr and Police Commander Kosiom, the ex-boyfriend sneaked into his daughter’s home to stage the attack.
“The boyfriend is believed to have sneaked into the compound at around 2 pm on Sunday while the wife and the children were in Church,’ Kosiom said, as per the Kenyan newspaper The Standard.
“Upon returning, Dickson, who had procured petrol, began pouring it on Rebecca before he set her ablaze.
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“The couple were heard quarrelling outside their house. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her.
“The suspect was also caught by the fire and sustained serious burns”.
Dr Owen Menach, who is treating Cheptegei at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital has revealed the athlete is in critical condition and fighting for her life.
“She is a high-profile patient and we are doing all we can to save her life”, Dr Owen said.
According to Menach, the alleged ex-boyfriend attacker has also been admitted to the same hospital with 30 per cent burns and is in a more stable condition.
Meanwhile, the Ugandan Athletics Federation confirmed the attack on social media.
“We regret to announce that our athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who competed at the Olympics has suffered severe injuries and is hospitalised at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.”
