Rebecca Cheptegei’s father speaks out on his daughter’s death after the Olympic marathon runner was ‘doused in petrol and set on fire by her ex-boyfriend’ – as he reveals his family were depending on her success

The father of Olympic marathon star Rebecca Cheptegei has spoken out following her death.

Cheptegei was allegedly doused with petrol and set on fire by her ex-boyfriend during a fight at their home over the weekend, and has now succumbed to her injuries.

The 33-year-old, who finished 44th in the Paris Olympics marathon last month, suffered burns over 80 percent of her body in Sunday’s brutal attack, according to medical officials.

She was rushed to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, but was pronounced dead in the early hours of Thursday.

Now, her father, Mzee Joseph Cheptegei, has spoken out following her passing and paid tribute to his late daughter, revealing that his family had depended on her success.

“I have lost a daughter who has helped me in many ways,” he said, via The star“We have children in secondary schools and I don’t know how we are going to face this challenge to ensure that they complete their studies.”

He also called on the government to speed up investigations and ensure that the culprit is punished.

“Since the day we lost her, the government has been slow to investigate the matter,” he added. “We have raised the matter with the police, but they have not taken any action yet.”

Dr Owen Menach, who oversaw Cheptegei’s treatment in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, issued a statement shortly after his death.

“It is sad that we lost the patient early this morning after all her organs failed around 5 a.m. while we were doing everything we could to save her life,” Menach said.

Dr Tony Sabila, a family member, confirmed that he was at Cheptegei’s bedside at the time of his death.

“It is true that we lost our sister this morning even though the doctors tried to save her life and I was there personally,” he said.

Cheptegei’s death was confirmed four days after she was allegedly set on fire by her ex-partner, whom police identified as Dickson Ndiema.

Kenyan police confirmed the runner was attacked at her home in western Trans Nzoia County, near the border with Uganda, where she had recently moved to be closer to Kenya’s best training facilities.

Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said her ex-partner, Dickson Ndiema, had bought a can of petrol, poured it on her and set it alight during a disagreement on Sunday.

Police discovered a five-litre jerrycan, a bag and a burnt phone at the scene of the incident, Kenyan newspaper The Nation reported.

A UOC press release signed by Rukare later urged law enforcement to “take swift and decisive action to bring the perpetrator to justice.”

Mzee Joseph Cheptegei, speaking earlier this week from hospital alongside his other daughter Evalyne Chelagat, said the pair were fighting over their land in Endebes in Trans Nzoia shortly before the alleged attack took place.

“They were just friends and I wonder why he wanted to take things away from my daughter,” Cheptegei Sr. said. The staralso revealing that her daughter’s two children were fathered by another man living in Uganda.

He went on to claim that Cheptegei and Ndiema, who he claimed had been estranged for a long time, were involved in a case being investigated by Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

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

“This was a cowardly and senseless act that has resulted in the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will live on,” he added.

According to Menach, the alleged attacker’s ex-boyfriend was also admitted to the same hospital with 30 percent burns.