PRIME Rebecca Cheptegei’s death: Why danger lurks for athletes in troubled unions

On Thursday morning, the world woke up to the news of the death of top Ugandan marathoner, 33-year-old Rebecca Cheptegei, who had been undergoing treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. 

Cheptegei was allegedly doused with petrol at her house in Trans Nzoia last Sunday by her ex-boyfriend Dickson Ndiema Marangach who is also admitted at the same hospital after he suffered 30 percent burns when the incident happened.

Cheptegei, who died of multiple organ failure after suffering 80 percent burns, competed for Uganda in women’s marathon on August 11 at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and finished 44th in two hours and 32.14 minutes.

She also competed in the marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Championship in Budapest, finishing 14th in 2:29.34. She held Ugandan national record in women’s marathon of 2:22:47.

The soft-spoken marathoner, who was an officer at the Uganda People’s Defence Force, was due to represent her country at the 2025 World Military Games in Switzerland from March 23-30 next year.

In the days leading to her death, the athlete was not at peace. Her ex-boyfriend Marangach had been claiming a parcel of land which she owned, and her house where she was living in Kinyoro area in Endebess, Trans Nzoia.

She had built the house to use during her training sessions in the region. Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, said that since the athlete had been juggling her training sessions between Kenya and Uganda and was spending a lot of money on rent, she decided to buy a piece of land and build a house to cut costs.

Nation Sport understands that the athlete had reported to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) in Trans Nzoia County that Marangach had been trailing her.

While confirming the death of his daughter in a media briefing at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret City on Thursday, her father said that they had complained to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation in Trans Nzoia County early enough concerning her safety.

“On my side, the government agencies failed because we reported early enough on her security because this man used to follow her even up to the Uganda side, but they didn’t act swiftly. It was evident her life was in danger,” the devastated father said in Eldoret.

Last year, Rebecca had walked away from her previous marriage to Ugandan athlete Simon Ayieko with whom she bore two daughters aged 11 and nine years. 

On Saturday, Ugandan athlete Ezekiel Chepkorom who was a close friend of Rebecca, said the athlete met Ayieko in training in 2010, and the two got into a relationship before getting married. Chepkorom said he learnt that Rebecca had a troubled marriage last year when she packed her things and walked away.

“Rebecca was a humble lady that wouldn’t harm a fly. It is unfortunate that we have lost her. I have known her for the past 14 years. We trained together at Kapkoros in Bukwo District in eastern Uganda. She got married to my friend Ayieko until last year when she packed her things and went to Kenya, something that shocked us because we had not heard of any problems from the family,” Chepkorom said.

“We tried to enquire why she had walked out of the relationship but she chose to keep it private. I later learnt that she had moved in with Dickson in Endebes. I personally called Dickson to get the truth, but he denied ever staying with her. We later learnt the truth, and her first husband (Ayieko) decided to let it go. Then we got the sad news that she had passed on after being doused with petrol,” he said.

Rebecca was a team player who wanted nothing but the best and at all times she would encourage her training mates and compatriots to strive for the best.

Ugandan marathoner Stella Chesang who competed alongside Rebecca at the Olympics, remembers her as a team player.

 “Rebecca was a team player. When she found out that her body couldn’t move faster because she had suffered an injury, she asked me if I felt strong enough to follow the leading group rather than stay with her, which I did and finished eighth in the race. She had a bright future and her star had just started shining only for her life to be cut short by someone she knew well,” Chesang, who is also the 2018 Commonwealth Games 10,000m champion, said.

Uganda Athletics Federation’s vice president in charge of technical aspects, Benjamin Njia said that she knew Rebecca as a promising athlete whom the federation was supporting to become better.

“We had high hopes for Rebecca because in Uganda we have very few female marathoners. They are few and we were therefore supporting her together with the others to improve their careers. Unfortunately, she has had a tragic end,” Njia, who is also a Ugandan national athletics team coach, said. Rebecca will be laid to rest on Saturday at their home in Kapkoros, Bukwo District, in eastern Uganda.

Uganda Athletics Federation Vice President Benjamin Njia said the family has agreed on the burial date but will share the finer details of the programme in the next few days.

He added that since Rebecca was an officer in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, the government might take full charge of her funeral programme.

Rebecca’s case is one among a growing list of female athletes who have lost their lives due to gender-based violence.

On October 13, 2021, two-time world 10,000m bronze medallist, Agnes Tirop, was stabbed to death at her home in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet by her fiancée Ibrahim Rotich just after she had returned from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Tirop was fresh from breaking the 10km women’s record when she met her death. Rotich was arrested and charged with murder.

 The case is still ongoing. Last year, he was freed on bail after being denied bail four times due to concerns over his own safety as well as due to fears that he could be a flight risk. 

After Tirop’s murder, Athletics Kenya held forums across the country to sensitise athletes on gender-based violence. However, AK is yet to release its report on gender-based violence to the public.

After Tirop’s death Amina Mohamed who was the Cabinet Secretary for Sports at the time, formed a ministerial committee chaired by legendary distance runner Catherine Ndereba to probe cases of gender-based violence in sports, and to give recommendations on how to ensure gender inclusivity in sports.

The Gender Welfare and Equity in Sports Committee went around the country collecting views and handed over its report in Mombasa on January 17, 2022.

During the launch of the report, Ndereba said: “Silence no more. There should be a place we need to run to and that’s the Judiciary where criminals should be brought to justice. It is sad to see lawbreakers walking scot-free after committing horrible crimes.” 

However, the recommendations of the report are yet to be fully implemented.

Before the dust settled on Tirop’s death, another athlete, Kenyan-born Bahraini Damaris Mutua, was killed by her Ethiopian boyfriend, Eskinder Hailemariam Folie who fled immediately after committing the heinous act. The athlete’s decomposing body was discovered days later.

A post-mortem revealed that Mutua died after she was strangled. 

But how do the athletes end up staying with their abusers till they lose their lives?

 Muthoni Muhu, a psychologist, gender-based advocate and mental health educator, says that gender-based violence revolves around power and control.

“It’s about dominance. This is about one person wanting to assert their control over another. Most women stay in situations of abuse because they can’t afford to leave, but mostly it is because of the trauma bond that has been created over time by their abuser. 

“Others will stay for other reasons like finances, children, and culture, and the fear of being alone. The laws of Kenya do not really enforce any protection to women who manage to leave, so they are left to the mercy of the offenders, who eventually get easy bond terms and enjoy freedom for years before a ruling is made on their cases,” Muhu, who is the founder of Aviva Mental Health Services, said. 

Muhu also works with Tirop Angels Trust, a local organisation that sensitises athletes on gender-based violence, and trains women on the psychology of abuse. 

Muhu said trauma bond is an emotional attachment that a person subconsciously gets addicted to over a period of time, and involves a love bond with the abuser.

“The abuser builds trust with the victim, and in turn earns their trust, making the victim dependent on them and comfortable with letting the abuser take control over things like finances, key decisions and goals. Emotional abuse follows. They gas-light their victims by lying, cheating, manipulating, or emotionally abusing them,” she says. 

Victims then become addicted to the positive aspects of their relationship and the victim eventually becomes confused, and loses their sense of self-belief.

Away from relationships, some of the top Kenyan athletes whose lives have ended in tragedy include former Olympic marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru who died on May 16, 2011, at his home in Nyahururu.

Wanjiru will be remembered as one of the most talented long-distance runners of his generation. 

At the 2008 Olympic Games, he became Kenya’s first Olympic marathon champion.

On August 8, 2018, the 2015 400m hurdles world champion, Nicholas Bett died in a road accident when his vehicle he was driving veered off the road and landed in a ditch near Lessos along Nabkoi-Kapsabet road in Nandi County.

On January 1, this year, 3,000m steeplechase runner, Benjamin Kiplagat from Uganda, was found murdered along the road on his way home in Kimumu in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County. Two people were arrested and charged in court. The case is ongoing.