By Edrine Kamoga

Uganda’s Rebecca Cheptegei, cross country runner, long distance and marathon record holder has passed on, following sustained burn injuries from boyfriend that set her ablaze using petroleum.

She has since then been hospitalized in Kenya but died due to full organ failure, according to Kenyan health authorities.

Recently, Cheptegei had participated in the concluded Olympics in Paris of France where she represented Uganda in the 42km marathon and finished in the 48th position.

She was, however, set on fire last Sunday in Kenya at her home in Trans Nzoia County by her Kenyan partner , Dickson Ndiema Marangach.

Cheptegei was born in 1991 on 22nd of February she was a Ugandan cross country runner, long distance and marathon runner, being the national record holder in the marathon.

She has also represented Uganda at World Championships since 2010 including at IAAF World Cross Country Championships, World Mountain and Trail Running Championships and World Athletics Championships. She also competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in the women’s marathon.