WARNING: This story deals with family violence and may be distressing. 

An Olympic distance runner is in critical condition in a Kenyan hospital after she was set on fire, according to multiple reports. The athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei, is reportedly receiving treatment for burns on 75% of her body. 

“We regret to announce that our athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who competed at the Olympics, has suffered severe injuries and is hospitalised at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. This follows an incident involving her Kenyan boyfriend pouring petrol and setting fire on her,” the Uganda Athletics Federation said. 

Cheptegei, a Ugandan athlete living in Kenya, was attacked in her house in Trans Nzoia County in western Kenya, near the Ugandan border. Cheptegei’s parents told the Associated Press (AP) their daughter bought land in Trans Nzoia to be closer to Kenya’s athletic training centres. 

The 33-year-old long distance runner qualified to race for Uganda at this summer’s Paris Olympics and finished 44th in the women’s marathon. 

Trans Nzoia County police said Cheptegei’s boyfriend poured a jerrycan of petrol on her and set her on fire during a disagreement there on Sunday, according to AP. Before the attack, AP reported, the couple were heard fighting over the land where the house was built, according to a report filed by the local chief. 

Cheptegei’s boyfriend also sustained serious burns in the attack, Trans Nzoia County police chief Jeremiah ole Kosiom told journalists. Both are receiving specialised treatment at the hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. 

“The couple were heard quarrelling outside their house,” Kosiom said. “During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her.” 

The attack on Cheptegei comes after other cases of violence in recent years against female athletes in Kenya. 

In October 2021, Olympic distance runner Agnes Tirop was stabbed to death at her home in Iten, about 35km east of Eldoret. Six months later, Damaris Muthee Mutua, a Kenyan runner who competed for Bahrain, was found dead at the home of her boyfriend in Iten. A postmortem report said she was strangled. 

Authorities identified Tirop’s husband as the primary suspect in her killing and he is facing murder charges, which he denies. A search for Mutua’s boyfriend continues. 

-Glynn A. Hill, The Washington Post

FAMILY VIOLENCE 

How to get help: 

If you're in danger now: 
• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours or friends to ring for you. 
• Run outside and head for where there are other people. Scream for help so your neighbours can hear you. 
• Take the children with you. Don't stop to get anything else. 
• If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay.

Where to go for help or more information: 
• Women's Refuge: Crisis line - 0800 REFUGE or 0800 733 843 (available 24/7) 
• Shine: Helpline - 0508 744 633 (available 24/7) 
• It's Not Ok: Family violence information line - 0800 456 450 
• Shakti: Specialist services for African, Asian and Middle Eastern women and children. 
• Crisis line - 0800 742 584 (available 24/7) 
• Ministry of Justice: For information on family violence 
• Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga: National Network of Family Violence Services 
• White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men's violence towards women.

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