Ugandan athlete in Kenyan hospital after being doused with petrol

Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei is in critical condition in a Kenyan hospital after she was allegedly doused with petrol and set on fire by an ex-boyfriend.

The 33-year-old marathon runner, who recently took part in the Olympic Games in Paris, suffered severe burns, said the doctor treating her.

She was attacked in her home in western Kenya where she had been training.

The increasing cases of violence against female athletes in Kenya, some of which have resulted in death, are a cause for concern.

Ms Cheptegei was said to have been rescued by neighbours after the incident, which occurred at her home in the small town of Endebess on Sunday.

She was on her way back from church with her two children when she was targeted.

The suspected attacker also suffered severe burns, local police chief Jeremiah ole Kosiom told journalists.

“The couple were heard arguing outside the house. During the argument, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman and then burning her,” Mr Kosiom was quoted as saying.

Ms Cheptegei, who hails from a region just across the border in Uganda, is said to have bought a piece of land in Transnzoia County and built a house to be close to Kenya’s numerous sports training centres.

A report from a local property manager said the two had been arguing over the property. Police said an investigation was ongoing.

The two are being treated at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, the region’s largest city.

The hospital’s senior director of clinical services, Dr Owen Benach, told reporters that “one high-profile patient” had been “fully sedated due to the severity of the burns”. He said the hospital was well equipped to deal with the difficult situation of both patients.

Speaking to reporters, Ms Cheptegei’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, said he was “praying for justice for my daughter.”

At the recent Olympic Games in Paris, Ms Cheptegei finished 44th in the marathon.

She also won gold at the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

In April 2022, another runner, Damaris Mutua, was found strangled in a house with a pillow over his face in the Rift Valley town of Iten.

It happened months after record-breaking long-distance runner Agnes Tirop was found stabbed in the same city.

In both cases, their partners were identified by authorities as prime suspects.

Ms Tirop’s husband is currently facing murder charges, which he denies. The search for Ms Mutua’s boyfriend continues.

Men were also targeted.

Last December, another Ugandan athlete, Benjamin Kiplagat was stabbed by attackers in Eldoret.

Additional reporting by Celestine Karoney of the BBC.