Hundreds march to mourn slain Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei

Athletes and human rights activists Friday marched in Eldoret, calling for the government's action against the increasing cases of gender-based violence against women athletes.

Led by Tirop Angels Foundation founder and marathoner Viola Cheptoo, the athletes said the government must pay attention to the crisis facing women athletes, following the murder of Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei in the latest case in Kenya.

The athletes were present as Cheptegei’s body left Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary, ahead of Saturday's burial in Bukwo, home to her family in Uganda

“We’ve lost many athletes due to GBV and enough is enough. We don’t want again to hear any death which is associated with violence. We are calling on the government to join us in this movement as we seek to lay down structures that will put to an end the vice,” said Cheptoo.

The 33-year-old athlete succumbed to her wounds last week after being attacked on September 1 by her Kenyan partner, who poured petrol over her and set her on fire.

Cheptegei is the third athlete to have died in Kenya as a result of gender-based violence since 2021, provoking a global outpouring of tributes and rage.

She was attacked outside her house in Endebass in Kenya.

Her attacker, 32-year-old Dickson Ndiema Marangach, was also severely burned and later died in hospital on Monday.

Additional reporting by AFP