Ugandan Athlete Rebecca Cheptegei. Photo|Courtesy.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has vowed that the government will seek justice for Rebecca Cheptegei. The Ugandan athlete tragically passed away on Thursday due to severe burns inflicted by her estranged boyfriend.
Cheptegei, a participant in the recent Paris Olympics, succumbed after three days in intensive care at the Eldoret Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Murkomen expressed condolences, noting the loss to Uganda and the athletics community, emphasizing the need to combat gender-based violence.
He stated, “The government is committed to ensuring justice for Rebecca.”
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According to Eldoret police, the tragic incident followed a dispute between Cheptegei and her boyfriend, who allegedly doused her with petrol and set her on fire. The boyfriend, also hospitalized with burns, is under treatment at the same facility.
Rebecca’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, called for swift justice, revealing that their previous reports of harassment had been ignored. “If the authorities had acted sooner, her life might have been saved,” he lamented.
