Ex-Lover of Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei Dies from Burns After Fatal Attack
Rebecca Cheptegei is set to be laid to rest in her hometown in Bukwa District, Uganda, on Saturday.
Rebecca Cheptegei-Courtesy Skynews.
The ex-lover of the late Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who doused her with petrol before setting her ablaze, has also succumbed to his injuries.
Dickson Ndiema passed away on Monday night while receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), where he had been admitted following the tragic incident that left him with burns covering 30% of his body. His death occurred just days after Cheptegei died in the same hospital from 80% burns sustained during the attack in the Kinyoro area of Endebes Sub-county, Trans-Nzoia County.
The hospital’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Philip Kirwa, confirmed Ndiema’s passing, noting that he succumbed to the injuries despite receiving critical care. “Ndiema sustained burns to over 41% of his body and developed respiratory failure due to severe airway burns and sepsis, which ultimately led to his death on Monday,” Kirwa explained.
Ndiema was admitted to MTRH on September 2 after being referred from Kitale County Referral Hospital. According to Kirwa, Ndiema had been under the care of a multidisciplinary medical team in the ICU. Despite life-saving efforts, his condition deteriorated, and he passed away. The hospital has since informed his next of kin.
The incident occurred when Ndiema allegedly attacked Cheptegei, his former partner, over a long-standing land dispute in Kinyoro. Ndiema reportedly waited for her to return from church, accompanied by her two children, before launching the brutal assault. Cheptegei, an Olympian and celebrated athlete, sustained critical injuries and later died from her burns.
Ndiema had been under police custody at the hospital and was expected to face murder charges once he recovered. His death, however, closes the chapter on a case that shocked both Kenya and Uganda.
Rebecca Cheptegei is set to be laid to rest in her hometown in Bukwa District, Uganda, on Saturday. The Ugandan government is expected to honor her with a heroic send-off in recognition of her Olympic achievements and stellar athletic career. A post-mortem on her body is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, according to her father, Joseph Cheptegei.
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