Slain Ugandan Olympian Buried with Full Military Honors, Reports Reuters

By Elias Biryabarema and Ammu Kannampilly

KAMPALA – Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who tragically lost her life after being allegedly set on fire by her former partner, was laid to rest on Saturday with full military honors in her ancestral home in northeastern Uganda.

At the age of 33, Cheptegei had returned to her residence in the highlands of western Kenya, a preferred training area for many international runners, after finishing 44th in the marathon at the Paris Olympics on August 11. This race would be her last.

Three weeks later, her ex-boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, reportedly attacked her as she was returning from church accompanied by her two daughters and younger sister in Kinyoro, Kenya. Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, shared that she had sought police assistance multiple times against Marangach, with her last complaint filed just two days before the incident.

Cheptegei sustained severe burn injuries covering 80% of her body and passed away four days later. "I don’t think I am going to make it," she told her father during her hospital treatment. "If I die, just bury me at home in Uganda."

Her funeral in Bukwo, near the border with Kenya, attracted hundreds of mourners, including fellow Olympians from Uganda and Kenya. During the service, she was lovingly remembered as a hero, a mother, and a sister. Her body was interred shortly after 5 p.m. and the ceremony included a military gun salute, reflecting her status as a member of the Ugandan military.

Kenya’s sports minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, paid tribute to her, stating that she exemplified resilience, selflessness, generosity, and hard work, which propelled her to international fame. He noted that her death marked "a tragic end to a blossoming life."

The violence surrounding Cheptegei’s death has ignited outrage regarding the pervasive violence against women in Kenya, particularly in the athletics community. Notably, she became the third elite runner to allegedly fall victim to violence from a romantic partner since 2021. According to 2022 government statistics, one in three Kenyan women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence.

Advocacy groups have highlighted the heightened risks for female athletes in Kenya, who often face exploitation and violence due to their financial success, which vastly exceeds local incomes.

Cheptegei’s athletic achievements included winning the 2021 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand and setting a national record at the Padova Marathon in Italy a year later. Originally from eastern Uganda, she met Marangach during a training visit to Kenya and eventually moved there to pursue her athletic ambitions.

Marangach passed away shortly after Cheptegei, reportedly from burns sustained during the assault, a development that has divided opinions within the local running community. Viola Cheptoo, a marathoner and co-founder of a support group for athletes facing domestic violence, expressed that true justice would have been Marangach serving time for his actions.

The shocking details of Cheptegei’s death resonate deeply, yet her legacy may inspire future generations of athletes. The city of Paris plans to commemorate her memory by naming a sports facility in her honor. The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, emphasized the impact Cheptegei had, stating, "She dazzled us here in Paris. We saw her. Her beauty, her strength, her freedom. Paris will not forget her."