Gasoline attack: Olympic runner hospitalised after being set ablaze by boyfriend

The Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) sadly announced on September 3 (IST) that the Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei suffered severe injuries following a heart-rending incident involving her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, set her on fire in a gasoline attack. The tragic news comes weeks after the Ugandan athlete, living in Kenya, represented her country at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The distressing incident reportedly occurred at the athlete's Trans Nzoia County home in Kenya on Sunday, September 1, seemingly after Cheptegei and Ndiema got into an argument, Police Commander Jeremiah Ole Kosiom said, per the Associated Press' report. The 33-year-old Ugandan runner has sustained severe burns on over 75% of her body.

"The couple [was] heard quarrelling outside their house. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her,” Kosiom told the media, according to the BBC.

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Cheptegei's parents Joseph Cheptegei and Agnes Ndiema informed local police that their daughter had recently shelled out money to buy land in Trans Nzoia, where she could train and have easier access to the athletic training centres.

Where is Rebecca Cheptegei now?

The 33-year-old Olympic runner's neighbours reportedly came to her rescue as they put out the fire and rushed her and her boyfriend to the Kitale County Referral Hospital. Cheptegei was later transferred to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret for specialised treatment. She is in critical condition. Her partner, Ndiema, also got injured during the attack and is receiving treatment at the same facility.

Multiple reports suggest that an investigation is ongoing.

According to a local police report obtained by the AP, Cheptegei and Ndiema entered into an altercation over the land on which the home was built. Police Commander Kosiom said the gasoline attack happened around 3 pm on Sunday and was reported at Kinyoro Police Station at 10 am on Monday.

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“At the scene, a five-litre yellow jerrican, a bag and a black marvin believed to be for Dickson and a burnt mobile phone believed to be for Rebecca were collected for forensic analysis,” Kosiom told reporters, per The Standard's report.

Cheptegei finished 44th in the 2024 Paris Olympics marathon in August. She entered the big league after winning gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022.

Read the Uganda Athletics Federation's statement about Rebecca Cheptegei's attack

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