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Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei succumbed to multiple organ failure at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit in Eldoret.

Cheptegei had been at the hospital since Monday. Her demise was confirmed by Dr Kimani Mbugua, who is in charge of theatre and critical care, at a media briefing with members of the Olympian’s family.

Mbugua described the marathoner’s death, which occurred on Wednesday night, as sad not only to her family members and the athletics fraternity but also to the world at large.

“Unfortunately, we lost her last night despite frantic efforts by a team of doctors to stabilise her condition after all her organs failed,” said Mbugua.

Cheptegei competed in the recent Paris Olympics. She died days after being doused in petrol and set afire by a former boyfriend.

She suffered inhalation burns that affected her throat and airwaves, Mbugua said.

“Cheptegei suffered 80 percent burns, which caused severe damage to all her body organs, thus making it difficult for her chances of survival when she was rushed to this facility on Monday,” Mbugua said.

The athlete’s ex-boyfriend, identified as Dickson Ndiema Marangach, is also undergoing treatment at the same ICU with 30 percent burns to his body.

Marangach, a prime suspect in Cheptegei’s death, attacked her at her home as she returned from a church service with her two children.

He doused her in petrol and set her on fire.

Speaking at the hospital, her father Joseph Cheptegei called for justice as he asked the government to help secure her multimillion-shilling property in the Kinyoro area of Trans Nzoia County.

He said that her daughter had a prime plot that she had developed and another piece of land that he alleged was on the verge of being taken over by the man blamed for her death.

“The man who is behind the murder of my daughter is admitted at the same hospital unguarded by the police and there is a high chance that he might flee after his condition stabilises,” he said.

He said that even after the family reported to the police in Endebess about threats and intimidation against his daughter by her former boyfriend, no action was taken.

“This man had been trailing my daughter even to Uganda . I alerted the police in Endebess and Kinyoro about the incident but they did not take the matter seriously,’ he said.

Meanwhile, some media outlets reported that one of Cheptegei’s daughters witnessed the assault on her mother.

Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) president Donald Rukare said in a post on X: “We have learnt of the sad passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei …  following a vicious attack by her boyfriend.

“This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure,”

In a subsequent press statement, Rukare urged law enforcement agencies “to take swift and decisive action to bring the perpetrator to justice”.

The Uganda Athletics Federation also reported Cheptegei’s death and paid tribute to her in a statement on X.

“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence,” the association said.

“As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest in peace.”

The fatal assault on Cheptegei comes two years after Kenyan-born athlete Damaris Mutua was found dead in Iten, a world-famous running hub in the Rift Valley.

And in October 2021, record-breaking Kenyan runner Agnes Tirop, 25, was found stabbed to death at her home in the same town.

The promising young runner, who had won 10,000m bronze medals in two consecutive world championships and came fourth in the 5000m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, was found dead at her home near Eldoret on October 13, 2021 in a pool of her own blood.

A coroner ruled she had died from massive blood loss caused by savage stab wounds to her neck and abdomen.

The horrific discovery prompted authorities to launch a manhunt for her husband, Ibrahim Rotich.

Rotich was taken into custody hours later after a late-night chase that ended when he slammed his vehicle into a lorry as he sought to escape several police cars bearing down on him.

Rotich is now on trial for the murder of Tirop, a charge he denies.

The trial got underway in November last year, more than two years after Tirop’s death.

Everlyne Jepngetich, Tirop’s younger sister, told the court late last year the athlete had suffered significant abuse at the hands of her husband, and that she came home hours before the murder to find her sister badly beaten.