May 28, 2026
REBECCA CHEPTEGEI: Uganda Olympic Committee Set Funeral Date For The Slain Athlete

REBECCA CHEPTEGEI: Uganda Olympic Committee Set Funeral Date For The Slain Athlete

The funeral for Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who died in Kenya after being set on fire by her boyfriend, will be held on September 14 in her home country, organizers announced Sunday.

The 33-year-old, who competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics last month, died from severe burns on Thursday.

This occurred four days after her boyfriend doused her with gasoline and set her on fire at her western Kenya home.

“The burial date of Rebecca Cheptegei has been set for September 14, in Kongasis Sub County in Bukwo district (eastern Uganda),” Beatrice Ayikoru, Secretary General of the Uganda Olympic Committee and a member of the funeral organising committee, told AFP.

Bukwo, Cheptegei’s family home, is located on the Kenyan border about 380 kilometers (240 miles) northeast of Uganda’s capital, Kampala.

Cheptegei’s death sparked outrage and sorrow, marking the latest horrific act of gender-based violence in Kenya, where at least two other athletes have died at the hands of their partners.

Police say the attack was carried out on Sunday last week by Cheptegei’s Kenyan partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, who also suffered burns and is in the hospital.

REBECCA CHEPTEGEI: Uganda Olympic Committee Set Funeral Date For The Slain Athlete

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