Murder most foul: Family in tears after Ugandan athlete Cheptegei dies

Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei Thursday succumbed to severe burns she suffered in an attack six days ago, even as it emerged she had feared for her life in recent months.

Doctors at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret pronounced Cheptegei, 33, dead at 5.30am. For a mother who had suffered 80 per cent burns when she was allegedly set ablaze by a male friend at 2pm on Sunday, September 1, chances of survival were slim, according to doctors.

Police reports indicated on Monday that the suspect doused the athlete in petrol before setting her ablaze at her home in Kinyoro, Trans Nzoia West, as her daughters who had just returned from a church service watched helplessly as fire fuelled by the highly inflammable oil consumed their mother – a long-distance running star.

Parents and siblings of the fallen Ugandan Olympian, who have been camping outside MTRH’s Intensive Care Unit where doctors have been battling since Monday to save Rebecca’s life, were heartbroken as they struggled to come to terms with the loss.

Head of Theatre and Critical Care at MTRH, Dr Kimani Mbugua said Rebecca, a mother of two daughters aged nine and 11, died of multiple organ failure. “It was a sad day on duty. We did all we could do to save her life. We had a debriefing session with the family,” Dr Mbugua said.

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He said her kidneys and cardiovascular system were among the organs that failed. “The damage had already occurred by the time she was coming in. We supported her organs as best as we could but unfortunately it was beyond what we could do,” the doctor said.

He said a multi-specialty team was deployed to save Rebecca’s life but the burns had caused irreparable damage by the time she arrived from Kitale County Referral Hospital on Monday. Plastic surgeons, ICU doctors, physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, and pharmacists were among the medical personnel involved in the late Rebecca’s care, according to Dr Mbugua.

Rebecca’s mother Agnes Cheptegei and sister Viola Chebet were inconsolable. The family was still seeking answers with her father Joseph Cheptegei seeking government help to protect his daughter’s property, which was under dispute, leading to the deadly attack.

Mr Cheptegei said her daughter’s attacker, still battling for his life at the Elodret-based hospital, had claimed the eighth of an acre plot where Rebecca’s house sits in Kinyoro, Endebess constituency.

He said the attack could have been avoided had police in Trans Nzoia hastened investigations. He said some individuals were conspiring to fraudulently acquire his daughter’s piece of land.

“It is a sad day for my family. A pillar who was supporting me with nearly every duty has died because she was attacked for defending what she acquired using her hard-earned money. She was supporting me with payment of school fees for her siblings in different schools. I don’t know where I will start,” said the father of 13.

The distraught father said his late daughter lived in fear many months before she was killed by the suspect, who she had lived with her as a friend. “We pleaded with the police in Endebess to investigate the ownership dispute over the plot that my daughter’s house sits on and to prevent any crime but they kept delaying,” Cheptegei disclosed.

He added: “I am requesting the government of Kenya to protect my daughter’s property and daughters. We have no guarantee of the arrest of my daughter’s killer if he recovers.”

Dickson Ndiema, the suspect, and who is said to be Rebecca’s male friend is still fighting for his life at the Eldoret-based hospital. 

Mr Cheptegei had separately told The Standard on Wednesday evening that his daughter’s life had been in danger even before she competed at the Paris Olympics which ended on August 11.

He said a group of men stormed Rebecca’s compound earlier this year at Chumeek village where the disputed plot is situated in Kinyoro but luckily, the athlete had left the house.

“On Thursday last week, Rebecca headed to Uganda to present documents for visa application but the man who attacked her on Sunday waited for him at the border and asked her never to go to Uganda and the land ownership matter was resolved, only to sneak into her compound and burn her a few days later,” Mr Cheptegei said, noting that the presence of the unknown men in herb compound was reported but never acted on by authorities.

Yesterday, hours after Rebecca’s death, Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said the land ownership tussle was still under investigation. Kosiom said he was not privy to details on the land matter.

Ugandan 10,000m and half marathon athletes, James Kirwa and Milton Kwemoi, who trained with Rebecca in Kapkoros, Bukwo District, Uganda, said the fallen star was the lead runner at their training base.

“Having competed at the Olympics, Rebecca was the most decorated athlete in Kapkoros. She was polite and guided us in our training,” Kirwa said.

Kwemoi said: “I am heartbroken because I have lost a mentor who motivated everyone at the training camp.”

The athlete’s death sparked reactions in Kenya. Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said Rebecca’s passing was a loss to the East African region. “The tragedy is a stark reminder that we must do more to combat gender-based violence, which in recent years has reared its ugly head in elite sporting circles,” the CS said.

Endebess MP Robert Pukose condemned the killing and described Rebecca as a humble athlete who encouraged girls to take up careers in sports.

Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (Kewopa) said the fallen athlete was a source of inspiration for girls, not only in Uganda and Kenya but throughout East Africa.

“Her accomplishments, including her participation in the Paris Olympics and winning gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, stood as symbols of what hard work, dedication, and resilience can achieve,” Kewopa chairperson and Kajiado woman MP Leah Sankaire, said.

KEWOPA asked the police to thoroughly investigate the killing and ensure justice is served. Rebecca was the 2022 winner of the Padova marathon and placed fourth in the Abu Dhabi marathon the same year. She also represented Uganda at the 2011 and 2013 World Cross Championships in Punta Umbria and Bydgoszcz.

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