Man accused of burning Cheptegei dies in hospital

Rebecca Cheptegei’s former partner, Dickson Ndiema who is accused of setting her on fire which led to her death, has also passed away at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. 

The hospital confirmed that Ndiema died Monday night in the ICU, where he had been receiving treatment.

Cheptegei, a Ugandan athlete and Olympian, succumbed to burn injuries days earlier at the same facility. Ndiema had allegedly attacked Cheptegei at her home in Trans Nzoia, dousing her with petrol and setting her on fire, an incident that also resulted in his own injuries.

Cheptegei sustained over 80 per cent burns, while Ndiema suffered more than 30 per cent burns. Cheptegei will be accorded a military funeral on Saturday in Uganda.

Dickson Ndiema (inset) is accused of setting Rebecca Cheptegei on fire at her home

Her family confirmed that she was a member of the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF) and will receive full military honors. Officials from both Kenya and Uganda are expected to attend the funeral in Bukwo, Eastern Uganda.

A postmortem on Cheptegei’s body is scheduled for Wednesday ahead of the funeral. Following the postmortem, MTRH will release Cheptegei’s body on Thursday morning from where it be transported her Endebes home in Trans Nzoia for a night vigil.

On Friday, the body will be transported to Bukwo, Uganda, for another overnight vigil before the burial on Saturday.