Funeral begins for Ugandan Olympian killed by ex-boyfriend

The ceremonial work has begun for Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who was acceptable ablaze by her erstwhile fellow and aboriginal died.

Dickson Ndiema attacked her with petrol conscionable nether a fortnight agone extracurricular her location successful north-west Kenya, adjacent to wherever she trained.

The 33-year-old's killing, and its brutal nature, near her household distraught and shocked galore others crossed the world.

It underscored the precocious levels of unit against women successful Kenya and the information that respective pistillate athletes person been victims successful caller years.

Cheptegei volition person afloat subject honours astatine the ceremonial successful Uganda, having been a subordinate of the equipped forces there.

She died successful infirmary 4 days aft the attack. Doctors said she had suffered burns connected much than 80% of her assemblage which "led to multi-organ failure".

Ndiema, who was besides burned aft immoderate of the substance splashed connected his ain body, died connected Monday.

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He attacked the mother-of-two aft she returned from a work astatine a church, the God's Dwelling Ministry.

The pastor there, Caroline Atieno, remembers a "wonderful... God-fearing person".

After proceeding astir what had happened, she managed to talk to Cheptegei connected the telephone portion she was successful hospital.

The jock archetypal asked astir her children, who were some fine, the pastor told the BBC's Africa Daily podcast.

Then Cheptegei talked astir her attacker: "You mean Dickson is not capable to spot each I person done for him? He could not retrieve adjacent 1 oregon 2 things I person done for him and halt mounting maine connected fire? Why has helium done this to me?"

The ceremonial is being held successful Bukwo, location to her household successful Uganda and adjacent to the Kenyan border.

On Friday, household members, friends and activists against gender-based unit viewed her coffin astatine a ceremonial location successful the Kenyan municipality of Eldoret, earlier it was driven away.

Her mother, Agnes Cheptegei, covering her look successful anguish, was wearing a souvenir container that the jock received astatine the caller Paris Olympics, wherever she came 44th successful the marathon.

She was dressed successful a T-shirt which had the slogan "being a pistillate should not beryllium a decease sentence" printed connected it.

The mother-of-two was the 3rd pistillate jock to beryllium killed successful Kenya implicit the past 3 years. In each case, existent oregon erstwhile romanticist partners were named arsenic the main suspects by police.

In 2021, world-record holder Agnes Tirop was stabbed to decease and six months aboriginal Damaris Mutua was strangled.

Attacks connected women person go a large interest successful Kenya. In 2022 astatine slightest 34% of women said they had experienced carnal violence, according to a nationalist survey.

Some observers are saying that pistillate athletes are becoming progressively vulnerable.

"[This is] due to the fact that they spell against accepted sex norms wherever the pistillate is conscionable successful the room and conscionable cooking and taking attraction of kids. But present pistillate athletes are becoming much independent, financially independent," said Joan Chelimo, who co-founded Tirop’s Angels to assistance item the contented of unit against women.

"We don't privation this to hap to immoderate different woman, whether an jock oregon from the village, oregon a young girl," Rachel Kamweru, a spokesperson of the government's section for sex and affirmative action, told the BBC.

When Cheptegei archetypal got into running, she joined the Uganda People’s Defence Forces successful 2008 which helped enactment her.

Her past contention was astatine the Paris Olympics. Although she came 44th radical successful her location country inactive referred to her arsenic "champion".

She won golden astatine the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships successful Chiang Mai, Thailand, successful 2022.