Elders from the Sabaot community in Kenya have condemned the death of Ugandan athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei, who was allegedly doused with petrol at her house in Trans Nzoia on August 1 by her ex-boyfriend Dickson Ndiema Marangach.
At the same time, the athlete’s family has said that her remains will be interred on Saturday at the family home in Kapkoros, Bukwo District in eastern Uganda.
Uganda Athletics Federation’s vice president, Benjamin Njia, Sunday said the family has set the burial for Saturday, but they will release details of the programme in the next few days.
“As we mourn our national champion, the family has settled on Saturday as the burial date, but we are still waiting for the finer details, both from the government and the family,” said Njia.
Because Cheptegei was an officer in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, the Ugandan government might take full charge of the funeral programme.
On Sunday, the elders unequivocally apologised to the athlete’s country Uganda, and sought forgiveness from her family. Cheptegei, 33, died on Thursday at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, where she was undergoing treatment after being allegedly doused with petrol at her house in Trans Nzoia on August 1 by her ex-boyfriend Ndiema. She died of multi-organ failure after suffering 80 percent burns.
Ndiema is also admitted at the same hospital after he suffered 30 percent burns when the incident happened.
Sabaot elders from Trans Nzoia County said Cheptegei’s death was a big blow to the community both in Kenya and Uganda, and urged the Kenyan government to ensure the family gets Justice.
“We are saddened by the cruel treatment and death of Cheptegei. As a community, we are very sorry for the inhuman act that led to the death of a promising star. We apologise on behalf of the Sabaot community in Kenya to our neighbours in Uganda, and to President Yoweri Museveni,” Sabaot Council of Elders Spokesperson, Pius Arap Kauka, said in Kitale.
The elders blamed local police officers for failing to act swiftly after Cheptegei’s family reported threats to her life.
“The family has raised several concerns over threats to her life. In February, the family reported a case to the police, but it was not acted on. We want officers involved in the case punished for their failure to protect our daughter,” the elders said.
The elders asked Interior Cabinet Secretary Prof Kithure Kindiki to ensure safety of athletes is guaranteed, adding that cases of death of athletes was worrying.
“We do not want to lose another athlete in this manner. We want the government to act swiftly, and to offer security to our athletes who suffer through planned attacks against them,” noted Kauka.
The Sabaot are one of the nine sub-tribes of the Kalenjin of Kenya and Uganda, and live in both countries. The other sub-tribes include the Pok, Somek, Mosop, Koony Bong’omek and Sabiny (known as Sebei in Uganda).
The Sebei who settled in the Eastern part of Uganda are largely concentrated in Kapchorwa and Bukwo districts. Kapchorwa has produced a majority of Uganda’s athletics stars. Kapchorwa is to Ugandan athletics what Iten in Eldoret is to Kenya.
Some of Uganda’s athletics stars from Kapchorwa include world 5,000m record holder Joshua Cheptegei, world half marathon record holder Jacob Kiplimo, Olympics 3,000m steeplechase silver medalist Peruth Chemutai, world and Commonwealth Games marathon champion Victor Kiplangat, the 2012 Olympics marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich, 5,000m runner Esther Chebet.
Rebecca Cheptegei 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 the Ugandan national record in women’s marathon of 2:22:47.
The soft-spoken marathoner, who was an officer in 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.
