Ugandan Olympic Athlete Hospitalised After Being Set On Fire

Rebecca Cheptegei, an Ugandan athlete, is in a critical condition at a Kenyan hospital after reportedly being doused with petrol and set on fire by her former boyfriend. The 33-year-old athlete who recently competed in the Paris Olympics has sustained severe burns, according to her doctor.

The attack occurred at her home in western Kenya, where she had been training, reported the BBC. According to local police, the alleged attacker also sustained serious burns. A report from the local chief states that the couple was heard fighting over a land before the fire broke out. Police said that the investigation is under way. 

This incident has highlighted the concerns about the rising violence against female athletes in Kenya, with some incidents tragically ending in death. Cheptegei finished 44th in the marathon at the recently concluded Paris Olympics, with a time of two hours, 32 minutes, and 14 seconds. 

Cheptegie is not the first athlete to make headlines as the victim of domestic assault in Kenya. Another female athlete, Damaris Mutua, was found strangled in a home in 2022. As per the report, this incident happened months after record-breaking long-distance runner Agnes Tirop was found stabbed to death in the same town.