Ugandan Olympian Cheptegei, tragically murdered, was buried with full military honours, as the nation mourns the loss of its sports hero.

Rebecca Cheptegei, an Olympic runner from Uganda who lost her life to the brutal act of being burned alive by her ex-partner while drenched in gasoline, has been laid to rest with full military honors at her ancestral dwelling situated towards northeast side of Uganda.

After her first appearance in the Paris Olympics women’s marathon earlier this summer, a 33-year-old woman passed away last week due to severe burns incurred during an attack by Kenyan Dickson Ndiema Marangach. This assault elicited tributes from around the world.

Cheptegei was honored by hundreds of residents, family members, officials and fellow Olympians hailing from Uganda and Kenya on Saturday in the Bukwo village located near the border shared between these two countries. The Ugandan military fired a gun salute as Cheptegei’s remains were laid to rest with complete military honors befitting her role within their ranks.

According to Kenya’s sports minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, she exemplified an admirable combination of resilience, selflessness, generosity and hard work. These qualities propelled her to international success but tragically resulted in the premature end of a promising life.

The Sports Minister of Uganda, Peter Ogwang vehemently denounced the “savage and feeble-minded” assault that led to her death. He also assured that roughly $13,000 will be granted by the government as support for each child of Cheptegei’s family.

Inter me in Uganda.

Living in the highlands of western Kenya, Cheptegei was situated in an area renowned for its high-altitude training facilities which attracted international runners. In her ultimate competition on August 11 at the Paris Olympics, she attained a placement of 44th out of all participating marathoners.

On September 1, Marangach assaulted Cheptegei three weeks after she had returned from church with her two daughters and younger sister in Kinyoro village.

Joseph Cheptegei, her father, informed the Reuters news agency that his daughter had made several attempts to report Marangach to the authorities. However, he died shortly after Cheptegei due to wounds inflicted during the assault.

After enduring burns covering 80 percent of her physique, she ultimately passed away four days later as a result.

Her father said that while receiving treatment at the hospital, she told him, “I don’t believe I’ll survive. If I pass away, please bury me in our home country of Uganda.”

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The family of Cheptegei, who had two daughters with her estranged husband Simon Ayeko, expressed their profound sadness.

“It has been extremely challenging as a dad,” he informed the AFP news agency, and shared that breaking the news to their children had not yet happened. “We’ll gradually inform them of what really transpired.”

The passing of Cheptegei incited outrage over the rampant levels of violence endured by women in Kenya, especially within its athletics sphere. As per reports, the long-distance runner was purportedly the third renowned athlete to lose their life at their partner’s hands since 2021.

Government data from 2022 reveals that physical violence has been experienced by one-third of Kenyan females between the ages of 15 to 49.

Men attracted to the lucrative prize money offered in sports are posing a significant threat of exploitation and violence to female athletes in Kenya, as per rights groups. This disparity between local incomes and monetary rewards has placed Kenyan women at an elevated risk.

In 2021, Cheptegei emerged victorious in the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships held in Thailand. Adding to his successes, a year later he clinched the top spot at the Padova Marathon in Italy while also breaking his national marathon record.

Bessie Modest Ajilong, the local presidential representative informed AFP that the athlete was regarded as a “heroine”.

“As inspirations, Cheptegei was perceived by us as leaders.”

Source: News Agencies AFP