Former partner accused of murdering Rebecca Cheptegei dies in hospital from burn injuries.

Hospital confirms the death of Dickson Ndiema Marangach. Olympian Cheptegei, 33, passed away days after being set on fire.

The former partner of Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who was accused of killing her by pouring petrol on her and setting her ablaze, has succumbed to burns he sustained during the incident, the Kenyan hospital treating him reported on Tuesday.

Cheptegei, 33, who ran the marathon at the Paris Olympics, sustained burns over 75% of her body in the September 1 attack and passed away four days later.

Her ex-boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, died at 7:50 p.m. local time on Monday, according to Daniel Lang’at, a spokesperson for Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, western Kenya, where Cheptegei was also treated before her death. “He succumbed to his injuries, the burns he suffered,” Lang’at told Reuters.

Cheptegei, who placed 44th in Paris, is the third top-level sportswoman to be killed in Kenya since October 2021. Her death has brought attention to domestic violence in the East African nation, especially within its running community.

According to rights groups, female athletes in Kenya face a significant risk of exploitation and violence from men attracted by their prize money, which greatly surpasses local earnings.

According to government data from 2022, nearly 34% of Kenyan girls and women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence, with married women being especially vulnerable. The 2022 survey revealed that 41% of married women had encountered violence.

Globally, a woman is killed by a family member every 11 minutes, as reported in a 2023 study by UN Women.