Pictured: Ex-boyfriend who torched Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei to loss of life

The ex-boyfriend of Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei has been revealed for the first time after he allegedly doused her in petrol and set her alight in her home.

Cheptegei, 33, suffered horrendous burns to 80 per cent of her body in Sunday’s brutal attack that was reportedly carried out by Dickson Ndiema, according to medical officials.

She was rushed to the intensive care unit at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, in the hopes doctors could stabilise her.

But the facility’s acting director Dr Owen Menach this morning confirmed Cheptegei died late last night. ‘Unfortunately, we lost her after all her organs failed,’ Menach told Kenyan press. 

One of Cheptegei’s daughters is said to have witnessed the assault at her mother’s home. She told Kenya’s The Standard: ‘He kicked me while I tried to run to the rescue of my mother.

‘I immediately cried out for help, attracting a neighbour who tried to extinguish the flames with water, but it was not possible,’ added the girl, who has not been named. 

The president of the Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) Donald Rukare said in a post on X today: ‘We have learnt of the sad passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei… following a vicious attack by her boyfriend.

‘This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure,’ he added. 

A press release from the UOC bearing Rukare’s signature later urged law enforcement agencies ‘to take swift and decisive action to bring the perpetrator to justice’.

Peter Ogwang, the Minister of State for Education & Sports also said: ‘I have just received disturbing news about the tragic death of Uganda’s athlete Rebecca Cheptegei this morning in Kenya. 

‘The Kenyan authorities are investigating the circumstances under which she died and a more detailed report & program will be provided in due course. 

‘The long-distance runner represented us in the recently concluded 2024 Paris Olympics. I send my deepest condolences to the family, relatives, sports fraternity and Ugandans at large.’

The horrific incident took place just weeks after Cheptegei had taken part in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, where she placed 44th. 

Kenyan police confirmed the runner was attacked at her house in western Trans Nzoia County, close to the Ugandan border, where she had recently relocated to be closer to superior Kenyan training facilities. 

Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said her former partner  Dickson Ndiema had bought a can of petrol, poured it on her and set her ablaze during a disagreement on Sunday.

Police discovered a five-litre jerry can, a bag, and a burned phone at the scene of the incident, according to Kenyan newspaper The Nation.

Rebecca’s father Joseph Cheptegei, speaking earlier this week from hospital alongside his other daughter Evalyne Chelagat, 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 The Star, revealing also that his daughter’s two children are fathered by a different man living in Uganda.

He went on to claim 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 2pm 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.

‘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.’

According to Menach, the alleged ex-boyfriend attacker has also been admitted to the same hospital with 30 per cent burns.

Meanwhile, Kenyan media reported that one of Cheptegei’s daughters witnessed the assault at her mother’s home 

‘He kicked me while I tried to run to the rescue of my mother,’ Kenya’s The Standard reported her as saying.

‘I immediately cried out for help, attracting a neighbour who tried to extinguish the flames with water, but it was not possible,’ said the girl, who has not been named.

The Uganda Athletics Federation also reported Cheptegei’s death and paid tribute to their athlete in a statement on X.

‘We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence,’ it said.

‘As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest in peace.’

British long-distance runner Eilish McColgan has pleaded for an end to domestic violence following the ‘heartbreaking’ death of Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei. 

McColgan, who competed in the 10,000m in Paris, wrote on X: ‘This is heartbreaking.

‘Even more heartbreaking that it’s not the first time the athletics community has lost such an incredible female athlete to domestic violence. It needs to stop! RIP Rebecca.’

The fatal assault on Cheptegei comes two years after Kenyan-born athlete Damaris Mutua was found dead in Iten, a world-famous running hub in the Rift Valley.

And in 2021, record-breaking Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop, 25, was found stabbed to death at her home in Iten in October 2021. 

The promising young runner, who had won 10,000m bronze medals in two consecutive World Championships and came fourth in the 5000m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, was found dead at her home in near Eldoret on October 13, 2021 in a pool of her own blood.

A coroner ruled she had died as a result of the massive blood loss from a series of savage stab wounds to her neck and abdomen.

The horrific discovery prompted authorities to launch a manhunt for her husband, Ibrahim Rotich.

He was detained hours later after a breathless late-night chase which only ended when the fleeing Rotich slammed his vehicle into a lorry as he sought to escape several police cars bearing down on him. 

Rotich is now on trial for the murder of his wife Tirop – a charge he denies. 

The trial only got underway in November last year, more than two years after Tirop’s death, following a court’s decision to release Rotich on bail following a lengthy period of detention.  

Everlyne Jepngetich, Tirop’s younger sister, told the court late last year the deceased had suffered significant abuse at the hands of her husband and said she came home hours before the murder to find her sister had been badly beaten.

Latest figures from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics published in January 2023 found that 34 per cent of women in the country had experienced physical violence since the age of 15.