- Former boyfriend who killed Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca has died
- He doused her with petrol and set her ablaze
- Cheptegei's death sent shockwaves around the world
Dickson Ndiema, the former boyfriend who killed Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei by setting her on fire, has died from the burns he sustained during the attack.
The incident occurred over a week ago when Ndiema ambushed Cheptegei as she returned home from church.
He doused her with petrol and set her ablaze, resulting in her death from 80% burns.
Local authorities revealed that the two had been involved in a dispute over a piece of land in northwestern Kenya.
Ndiema died on Monday night at the intensive care unit of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
Cheptegei’s death sent shockwaves around the world, and fellow Ugandans mourned her as an inspiration.
The 33-year-old Olympian was the third athlete to be killed in Kenya in the past three years, with intimate partners identified as the main suspects in each case.
Cheptegei, born on the Kenyan side of the border, chose to represent Uganda to pursue her athletics dream after failing to make a breakthrough in Kenya.
She joined the Uganda People’s Defence Forces in 2008 and rose to the rank of sergeant.
Her career highlights included competing in the Paris Olympics this year and winning gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in 2022.
Cheptegei is set to be buried on Saturday at her ancestral home in Bukwo, Uganda.
Attacks on women remain a significant concern in Kenya, with at least 34% of women reporting physical violence in a 2022 survey.
