Olympic runner’s ex-boyfriend snuck into home while she was at church before ‘setting her on fire in petrol attack’
AN OLYMPIC marathon runner’s ex-boyfriend snuck into her home while she was at church with her kids before allegedly setting her on fire.
Ugandan runner Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, suffered burns across 75 per cent of her body in the suspected petrol attack.
Cheptegei is in critical condition and receiving medical care at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret city, western Kenya.
Her ex-partner reportedly poured petrol on her and set her alight during an argument on Sunday, local police chief Jeremiah ole Kosiom said.
According to local media, the attack was launched after Cheptegei’s ex-partner snuck into her compound while she and her children were at church.
He was allegedly armed with petrol and poured it on the athlete before setting her alight with a matchstick.
In the process he too was engulfed by the flames, Nation Africa reports.
Cheptegei’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, told Kenyan newspaper The Star that his daughter’s two children are not fathered by the alleged attacker.
He also claimed that she and her ex-partner, who he alleges have been separated for a long time, are involved in a case being investigated by Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
Cheptegei was rescued by neighbours after the horrific incident in her town of Endebess.
Official Kosiom also said her attacker sustained serious burns.
He said: “The [ex]couple were heard quarrelling outside their house.
“During the altercation, the [ex]boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her.”
They are both being treated at the same hospital.
A police investigation has been launched.
Cheptegei – from a region across the border in Uganda – reportedly bought a piece of land in Trans Nzoia County and built a house to be closer to Kenya’s athletic training facilities.
A local administrator report said the ex-pair were locked in a dispute over the plot.
Cheptegei’s father spoke from hospital with his other daughter and told local media that Cheptegei and her ex were fighting over her land shortly before the alleged attack happened.
The pro runner finished 44th in the marathon at Paris 2024 Olympics.
She also bagged a gold medal at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022.
Cheptegei’s ex-partner reportedly set fire to her while her children were nearby, Nation Africa reports.