Dickson Ndiema, the ex-boyfriend of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, has died from burns he sustained after setting Cheptegei on fire in a brutal attack. Ndiema ambushed the 33-year-old marathon runner as she returned home from church, dousing her with petrol and setting her ablaze due to a dispute over a small piece of land in north-west Kenya.
Ndiema was initially admitted to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret with burns covering over 30% of his body. He died on Monday night in the intensive care unit. Dr. Owen Menach, a hospital official, confirmed that Ndiema succumbed to his injuries.
Cheptegei, who suffered burns over 80% of her body, died last Thursday. Neighbors reported hearing her screams as she ran towards them, pleading for help. Authorities were treating the case as murder, with Ndiema named as the prime suspect and facing charges before his death.
This incident marked a tragic end for both Ndiema and Cheptegei, highlighting the growing issue of intimate partner violence in Kenya, where multiple female athletes have been killed under similar circumstances in recent years.
