Ugandan Olympic Athlete Set Ablaze by Boyfriend in Kenya, Suffers Severe Burns

Distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei was set ablaze by her boyfriend and is being treated for 75% burns

Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan distance runner who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics, is in critical condition after being set ablaze by her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, during a dispute in Trans Nzoia County, Kenya. Cheptegei, who suffered burns on 75% of her body, and Ndiema, who also sustained injuries, are receiving specialized treatment at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.

The incident occurred on Sunday when Ndiema allegedly poured petrol on Cheptegei and set her on fire following an argument over land ownership. Local police confirmed the details, noting that the couple had been heard fighting prior to the attack.

Cheptegei had recently purchased land in Trans Nzoia to be near the region's athletic training centers. The shocking attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents involving athletes in the region, following the deaths of Ugandan Olympic runner Benjamin Kiplagat in 2023 and Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Muthee in 2022.