Rebecca Cheptegei's ex-boyfriend dies of his injuries days after burning Olympic marathon runner

The man who set fire to Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei last Sunday has also died from injuries sustained in the fatal attack on the Ugandan athlete.

Cheptegei, 33, died of multiple organ failure in a hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, last week after suffering 80 percent burns after her ex-boyfriend Dickson Ndiema doused her with petrol and set her alight. Ndiema, who also suffered severe burns, was taken to the same hospital where Kenyan police said he would be arrested once he recovered from his injuries. However, officials at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital confirmed this morning that Ndiema also died of his injuries last night.

Killer friend dies

“Dickson Ndiema Marangach has died from 30 percent burns sustained when he set fire to his girlfriend Rebecca Cheptegei last week,” the statement said.

“Police believe he was burned with the same petrol he used to set Rebecca on fire following a dispute over ownership of a property one of them had purchased.”

Ndiema’s brutal attack on Cheptegei occurred on Sunday, September 1, following a heated argument.

Neighbours said they heard a loud argument between the couple at Cheptegei's home in western Trans Nzoia County in Kenya, where the athlete had recently moved for better training facilities.

It is believed that Ndiema lost control, poured petrol from a canister over Cheptegei and set her on fire. When neighbours heard the noise, they rushed to the scene and found the Olympian ablaze, but their attempts to put out the fire were unsuccessful.

Agnes Barabara, a neighbor who lives next to Cheptegei's house, told the BBC: “When I came out, I saw Rebecca running toward my burning house and calling for help.”

“When I went to get water and call for help, her attacker appeared again and poured more gasoline on her.”

Barbara said she had been unable to eat for days after witnessing the incident from just a few feet away, and solemnly noted that she had never seen anyone “burned alive” before.

Brutal murder of a star

Cheptegei, born in Kenya near the Ugandan border, decided to represent Uganda when her sporting career began to flourish.

A former sergeant in the Uganda People's Defence Forces, Cheptegei demonstrated her skills as an endurance runner, competing in marathons and long-distance runs at the highest level.

In 2022, she won gold in the uphill and downhill race at the first Mountain and Trail Running World Championships in Thailand.

Earlier this year, Cheptegei also won the Padua Marathon in Italy and finished second in the Abu Dhabi Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes and 47 seconds, the second fastest time ever recorded by a Ugandan woman.

Following the attack, she was admitted to the intensive care unit of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret with severe burns covering about 80 percent of her body.

Although her condition was initially stabilized, Dr. Owen Menach, the hospital's deputy director, confirmed that Cheptegei died on Wednesday evening as her organs gradually failed.

Ndiema, who was identified by police as the main suspect in the murder investigation, also suffered severe burns and was due to be charged once his condition improved, but he reportedly died before that could happen.

Kenyan authorities said they found a five-litre jerry can, a bag and a burnt phone at the scene.

Cheptegei leaves behind two children, aged nine and eleven, whose father is another man who lives in Uganda.

One of Cheptegei's daughters reportedly witnessed the attack at her mother's house last Sunday.