The man accused of dousing Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei with petrol and setting her alight has died from burns sustained during the attack, a hospital official confirmed on Tuesday.
Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, who competed in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, was severely burned in the September 1 assault and succumbed to her injuries four days later.
Dickson Ndiema Marangach, Cheptegei’s former boyfriend, passed away at 6:30pm (1530 GMT) on Monday at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. Hospital CEO Philip Kirwa reported that Marangach, who had sustained over 41% burns, died from respiratory failure due to severe airway burns and sepsis.
The attack occurred after Cheptegei returned home from church with her children. Her death highlights the issue of domestic violence in Kenya, especially within its running community.
Joseph Cheptegei, Rebecca’s father, expressed his view that Marangach’s death was a consequence of his actions. Rights groups have pointed out the high risk of exploitation and violence faced by female athletes in Kenya, driven by the financial incentives associated with their success.
Viola Cheptoo, co-founder of Tirop’s Angels, a support group for survivors of domestic violence, lamented that Marangach’s death denied justice and emphasized the need for legal accountability to prevent such attacks.
Cheptoo co-founded Tirop’s Angels in memory of Agnes Tirop, a rising Kenyan athletics star who was murdered in 2021. The case against Tirop’s husband, Ibrahim Rotich, remains ongoing.
Kenyan government data from 2022 reveals that nearly 34% of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence, with married women particularly vulnerable. A 2023 UN Women study reports that globally, a woman is killed by a family member every 11 minutes.
Beatrice Ayikoru, secretary-general of the Uganda Olympic Committee, expressed regret that Marangach did not face legal consequences, highlighting the ongoing need to address violence against women.
