Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has tragically passed away following severe burn injuries sustained in a fire attack allegedly perpetrated by her boyfriend. Cheptegei, who was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, succumbed to her injuries after all her organs failed.
MTRH Acting Director Dr. Owen Menach confirmed the athlete’s death, stating, “Unfortunately, we lost her after all her organs failed last night.” He added that the hospital would release a full report on the incident later in the day.
Cheptegei, who suffered burns on 80 percent of her body, was attacked on Sunday by her alleged boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema Marangach. According to reports, Marangach sneaked into Cheptegei’s home in Endebes, Trans Nzoia, with a five-liter jerrican of petrol. When Cheptegei returned home from church with her children, Marangach doused her with the petrol and set her on fire.
Neighbors, alerted by the commotion, rushed to the scene and managed to rescue both Cheptegei and Marangach, who also sustained burn injuries during the attack. They were both initially taken to a local hospital before being referred to MTRH in critical condition. Marangach, who is also in the ICU, suffered burns on about 30 percent of his body.
Cheptegei’s father, Mzee Joseph Cheptegei, clarified that his daughter and Marangach were merely friends and had been in conflict over her land in Endebes. “They were just friends and I wonder why he wanted to take away things belonging to my daughter,” he said, expressing his grief and confusion over the motive behind the attack.
Mzee Cheptegei also revealed that the two had a pending case under investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). He noted that Rebecca, a mother of two, had separated from Marangach long ago and that the father of her children resides in Uganda.
