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Kenyan man who set Ugandan Olympian on fire dies of his burns

Dickson Ndiema Marangach died in the hospital on Wednesday morning from respiratory failure caused by burns sustained during his attack on Ugandan marathoner Rebecca Cheptegei

Rebecca Cheptegei Photo by: Ralf Reinecke

The man responsible for the brutal death of Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei has died in a Kenyan hospital from burns he sustained during the attack. According to Kenya’s Nation, Dickson Ndiema Marangach died at Moi Teaching Hospital in Eldoret on Wednesday morning, the same hospital where Cheptegei succumbed to her injuries a few days earlier.

According to a report, Ndiema died due to “respiratory failure resulting from severe airway burns and sepsis.” Cheptegei, 33, had died on Sept. 5 from full organ failure, after being admitted with burns that reportedly covered 75 per cent of her body.

Witnesses to the attack said they heard an argument between the former couple before seeing Ndiema douse Cheptegei in gasoline and set her on fire as she returned home from church with her two daughters on Aug. 31. Little is known about Ndiema’s background, but local media reports indicate that the couple had been separated for some time before the deadly altercation.

Ugandan Olympic marathoner dies after being set on fire

Cheptegei’s tragic death shocked the world. She had competed in the marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympics, finishing 44th, and had previously won gold at the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand. Her marathon personal best was 2:22:47.

Rebecca Cheptegei
Rebecca Cheptegei at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

The city of Paris to honour Cheptegei

In response to her death, the city of Paris has announced plans to honour Cheptegei by naming a sports venue in her memory. The mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo said: “She dazzled us here in Paris with her beauty, strength, and freedom—qualities that were likely intolerable to the person who committed this horrific act.”

Although the specific venue has yet to be chosen, Hidalgo affirmed that Paris would ensure Cheptegei’s story and legacy would live on. “We will dedicate a sports venue in her name so that her memory carries on, spreading the message of equality upheld by the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” she added.

The United Nations condemned Cheptegei’s death as a “violent murder,” sparking widespread outrage and calls for justice in East Africa.

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