Olympic Marathon runner Rebecca Cheptege is in critical condition after a petrol attack by her boyfriend in Kenya. According to Peoplethe Ugandan Athlete suffered burns to over 75% of her body after her boyfriend, Nickson Ndiema, allegedly doused her with petrol and set her on fire in Trans Nzoia County in western Kenya on Sunday, September 1.
Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah Ole Kosiom said the attack occurred during a confrontation between Cheptegei and Ndiema.
“The couple were heard arguing outside their home,” he told reporters, according to BBC News“During the scuffle, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her.”
Ndiema was also injured in the fire, suffering several serious burns. The couple was put out by neighbours and they were taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, a nearby town, for treatment.
A local police report obtained by the Associated Press news agency revealed that the two had a dispute over the land on which their house was built before the attack.
“(Ndiema) is said to have sneaked into the compound around 2pm on Sunday while his wife and children were in church,” Kosiom said. The Standard“When he returned, Dickson, who had fetched petrol, began pouring it over Rebecca before setting her alight.”
He also told the newspaper that items including a “five-litre jerry can” belonging to Dickson and “a burnt mobile phone believed to have belonged to Rebecca” had been seized for forensic examination.
According to People, the incident is under investigation.
Cheptegei competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics in August, finishing 44th in the marathon event. The 33-year-old moved from Uganda to Kenya after buying land in the area for training purposes. Before the Olympics, Cheptegei won gold at the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
