The man responsible for the brutal attack on Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei has died from injuries he sustained during the incident, according to the Kenyan hospital treating him.
Dickson Ndiema Marangach, who assaulted Cheptegei at her home in western Kenya on September 1, died at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret, where he had been receiving treatment in the intensive care unit.
The attack left Cheptegei, a mother of two, with severe burns covering 80 percent of her body. Tragically, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after. Marangach, who suffered burns on 30 percent of his body during the assault, passed away a few days later.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the horrific incident. An official from the hospital confirmed Marangach’s death to AFP, but requested anonymity, stating that a comprehensive statement would be released later.
The assault on the 33-year-old runner has shocked many and brought renewed attention to the issue of gender-based violence in East Africa.
Cheptegei’s death comes just weeks after she made her Olympic debut at the Paris Games, where she finished 44th in the women’s marathon.
Reports indicate that the attack was witnessed by Cheptegei’s daughters. Marangach, who had a long-standing dispute with her over property, allegedly snuck into her home while she was at church and carried out the attack by pouring petrol over her and setting her on fire.
Cheptegei’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, told reporters that Marangach had purchased five litres of petrol before the assault and hid in a chicken coop. When her sister tried to intervene, Marangach threatened her with a machete, forcing her to flee.
The tragedy is part of a disturbing pattern of violence against women in Kenya. In 2022 alone, the country recorded 725 femicide cases, and a 2023 report by Kenya’s National Bureau of Statistics found that 34 percent of women have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
Cheptegei’s death follows the murders of record-breaking Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop in 2021 and Kenyan-born Bahrain athlete Damaris Mutua in 2022, both of whom were killed by their partners. Cheptegei is set to be buried on September 14 near her family home in eastern Uganda.
The attack has drawn widespread condemnation and highlighted the urgent need to address the rising cases of gender-based violence in the region.
