The man accused of killing Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei by dousing her in petrol and setting her alight has also died, according to the hospital where they were both treated.
Cheptegei’s former boyfriend, identified as Dickson Ndiema, died at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret after being admitted to intensive care following the attack on Cheptegei.
A spokesperson for the hospital confirmed the news.
The former boyfriend was accused of dousing Cheptegei in petrol and setting her ablaze while she was returning to her house from church in western Trans Nzoia County, Nairobi, on September 1.
The 33-year-old athlete suffered burns on 80 percent of her body and was being treated at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret City, where she died on September 5.
Ndiema also suffered burns from the attack and was also admitted to the hospital for treatment. His injuries were initially considered less critical.
World Athletics have pledged to investigate how they can protect female athletes following Cheptegei’s death.
Rights groups say female athletes in Kenya, where many international runners train in the high-altitude highlands, are at a high risk of exploitation and violence at the hands of men drawn to their prize money, which far exceeds local incomes.
A report filed by a local administrator said that Cheptegei — who finished 14th in the marathon at last year’s World Championships and 44th at the Olympics — and her attacker had been wrangling over a piece of land in Trans Nzoia county.
She suffered multiple-organ failure after being left with 80 per cent burns following the attack.
Her funeral, which will include a military burial, will take place in Uganda on Saturday.
