The man who set Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei on fire last Sunday has also died from the injuries he sustained during the attack.
Cheptegei, 33, tragically passed away in a hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, after suffering multiple organ failure. She had sustained burns on 80% of her body when her ex-boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, doused her in petrol and set her ablaze.
Ndiema, who also suffered severe burns during the attack, was taken to the hospital, where Kenyan authorities planned to detain him once he had recovered. However, officials confirmed this morning that Ndiema, too, succumbed to his injuries.
A statement read: “Dickson Ndiema Marangach has died from the 30% burns he sustained when he set his girlfriend Rebecca Cheptegei on fire last week. Police believe he was burned by the same petrol he used to ignite Rebecca following a dispute over land ownership.”
The incident occurred at Cheptegei’s home in Kenya’s western Trans Nzoia County, where neighbors reported hearing a loud argument between the pair. Cheptegei had recently moved to the area to be closer to advanced Kenyan training facilities.
Ndiema reportedly snapped during the argument, pouring petrol from a jerry can on her and setting her alight. Neighbors rushed to the scene after hearing the commotion, but despite their efforts, they were unable to put out the flames.
Agnes Barabara, a neighbor, told the BBC: “I saw Rebecca running towards my house, on fire, shouting for help. As I tried to get water and called for assistance, the assailant reappeared and poured more petrol on her.”
Barabara, visibly shaken, shared that she couldn’t eat for days after witnessing the horrific scene, describing it as the first time she had ever seen someone “burned alive.”
Rebecca Cheptegei, born near the Kenyan-Ugandan border, represented Uganda in her athletic career. In 2022, she won gold in the up-and-downhill mountain race at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand.
She also claimed victory at the Padova marathon in Italy earlier that year, and finished second in the Abu Dhabi marathon with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 47 seconds—the second-fastest time ever by a female Ugandan.
