By Suleiman Mustapha
The man who attacked Ugandan runner Rebecca Cheptegei has died from injuries sustained when he poured petrol over the Olympic athlete, the Kenyan hospital treating him said Tuesday.
Police said that Dickson Ndiema Marangach assaulted Cheptegei in her home in western Kenya on September 1. The mother-of-two sustained 80 percent burns and died last week.
In the course of the attack, Marangach also incurred 30 percent burns and was being treated in the intensive care unit at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in the Rift Valley city of Eldoret.
“It’s true we lost Dickson Ndiema last night at about 8:00 pm,” an official at the hospital’s communications department told AFP, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the press.
His family had been informed, the official said, adding that a “comprehensive statement” would be released later.
The attack on the 33-year-old Cheptegei has been greeted with sorrow and anger as yet another horrific example of gender-based violence in the East African country.
At least two other athletes have lost their lives at the hands of their partners since 2021.
Cheptegei is due to be buried on September 14 near her family home in eastern Uganda, according to the country’s Olympic Committee.
The attack, which local media said was witnessed by Cheptegei’s daughters, came just weeks after she made her Olympic debut in the women’s marathon at the Paris Games, where she finished 44th.
Police said Marangach sneaked into her home in Endebess, near the border with Uganda, while she was at church with her children.
