The former boyfriend of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca
Cheptegei, who fatally set her on fire, has died from burns he sustained during
the attack, a hospital official in Kenya has confirmed.
Dickson Ndiema ambushed Cheptegei as she returned home
from church, dousing her with petrol before igniting the fire. The two had
reportedly been in a dispute over a small piece of land in north-western Kenya,
where Cheptegei both lived and trained.
Ndiema died in the intensive care unit of Moi Teaching
and Referral Hospital, where he had been treated for burns covering more than
40% of his body. The hospital stated that Ndiema succumbed to respiratory
failure and sepsis due to severe burns.
Cheptegei died four days after the attack, suffering
from burns that covered over 80% of her body. Neighbours recalled hearing her
cries for help as she ran towards them engulfed in flames.
Ndiema, who was initially set to face murder charges,
is no longer subject to prosecution following his death. An inquest into the
deaths will now be opened.
Cheptegei's death has drawn global attention, marking
the third fatal attack on a Kenyan-based female athlete in recent years. In
similar incidents, partners or ex-partners have been named as suspects in the
deaths of athletes Agnes Tirop in 2021 and Damaris Mutua in 2022.
Cheptegei, a 33-year-old marathon runner, competed for
Uganda, achieving recognition after struggling to break through in Kenyan
athletics. She represented Uganda at the Paris Olympics earlier this year and
won gold at the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in
Thailand.
Her funeral will be held at her ancestral home in
Bukwo, Uganda.
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