Bukwo, Uganda — Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei, who tragically died after allegedly being set on fire by her former boyfriend in Kenya, was on Sept.14 laid to rest at her ancestral home in Bukwo, eastern Uganda.
Cheptegei, a marathon runner who finished 44th in the women's marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympics, also served as a sergeant in the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF). Her military colleagues honored her with a three-volley salute, marking the somber conclusion of the funeral.
The burial followed a special council session at the Bukwo District headquarters, where hundreds of mourners, including athletes, family members, local residents, government officials, and dignitaries, gathered to pay their respects. Sorrow rippled through the gathering as many came to terms with the loss of one of Uganda's rising sports stars.
Cheptegei's body, which sustained 80 percent burns after allegedly being doused with gasoline by her partner, Dickson Ndiema, was buried amid national mourning.
According to reports, the two quarreled over a piece of land Cheptegei had purchased in Kenya, which escalated into the horrific attack.
Uganda's First Lady Janet Museveni, who also serves as Minister for Education and Sports, expressed her grief, calling the attack "deeply disturbing."
Minister of State for Sports Peter Ogwang condemned the growing trend of gender-based violence targeting female athletes. "Our female athletes face numerous challenges, including domestic violence and interference from spouses during training and competitions. Some husbands have even taken over coaching roles, preventing professional coaches from training their wives," Ogwang said.
Cheptegei's body was returned to Uganda on Sept.13, after a solemn procession that followed a street march in Eldoret, Kenya, led by dozens of activists demanding an end to violence against female athletes.
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Her death has further spotlighted the issue of gender-based violence in East Africa. Cheptegei is the fourth female athlete to have been killed by her partner in Kenya in recent years, in a disturbing trend of violence against women. According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey, 41 percent of dating or married Kenyan women have experienced physical or sexual violence from their partners.
Cheptegei's tragic death has intensified calls for the protection of female athletes, particularly in Uganda, where many train across the border in Kenya due to the superior facilities available in the athletics powerhouse.
Several of the region's top runners train together at a high-altitude center in Kenya's western region, considered one of the world's best training locations for distance runners.
Cheptegei is remembered for her gold medal victory at the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
