The daughter of Rebecca Cheptegei, the Ugandan Olympic marathon runner who was doused in petrol and set ablaze by her ex-boyfriend, revealed the harrowing events she witnessed before her mother passed away.
Media outlets have also released the first picture of the brutal attacker, Dickson Ndiema, who also suffered burns during the attack and is recovering from the incident.
The 33-year-old Ugandan athlete was set on fire in the small town of Endebess, Kenya, during a disagreement over the land bought by her parents.
Officials revealed that the accused ex-boyfriend had entered her property on Sunday, September 1, while Rebecca was at church with her two children, aged 12 and 13. He was allegedly armed with a can of petrol.
Rebecca Cheptegei’s daughter shared gut-wrenching details about watching her mother being set on fire by her ex-boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema
When the Olympic runner returned, the pair were locked in an argument before the enraged boyfriend doused her in petrol and watched her burn.
One of the Paris Olympic participant’s children witnessed the horrific assault and tried to run to her mother’s rescue, but Dickson “kicked” her away.
“He kicked me while I tried to run to the rescue of my mother,” she was quoted telling The Standard.
Media outlets have released the first image of the alleged attacker, who also suffered burns during the horrific incident
“I immediately cried out for help, attracting a neighbour who tried to extinguish the flames with water, but it was not possible,” the bereaved daughter said.
Neighbors rushed to the scene and extinguished the flames, which left both the attacker and the victim severely injured.
The long-distance runner was rushed to the hospital with more than 80% of her body covered in burns, while her violent ex-partner had burns over 30% of his body.
On the morning of September 5, Dr. Owen Menach from the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret confirmed that the Olympic runner had succumbed to her injuries.
“He kicked me while I tried to run to the rescue of my mother,” the bereaved daughter said. “I immediately cried out for help”
“It is sad that we lost the patient early this morning after all organs failed at about 5 a.m. while we were doing our best to save her life,” the doctor said.
Mzee Cheptegei, the victim’s father, said Rebecca and Dickson had been just friends for a while.
“They were just friends and I wonder why he wanted to take away things belonging to my daughter,” the father told The Star.
The athlete competed in the 10,000 m race at the Paris Olympics this year and finished in 44th place in the marathon.
In 2022, she won a gold medal at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Netizens were shocked to see the news that the Olympic athlete tragically lost her life
