Rebecca Cheptegei, who died upcoming being i’m ready on hearth through former spouse, used to be buried at her ancestral house.
Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who died upcoming being doused in petrol and i’m ready on hearth through her former spouse, has been buried with complete army honours at her ancestral house in Uganda’s northeast.
The 33-year-old, who debuted this summer time within the girls’s marathon on the Paris Olympics, died of hideous burns extreme era upcoming being attacked through Kenyan Dickson Ndiema Marangach – an attack that precipitated a world outpouring of tributes.
Masses of citizens, relations, officers and fellow Olympians from Uganda and Kenya paid their admires to Cheptegei on Saturday in Bukwo village related Uganda’s border with Kenya. Her frame used to be reduced into her grave with complete army honours, together with a gun salute through the Ugandan army, by which she served.
“She embodied the admirable spirit of resilience, selflessness, generosity and hard work, which worked together to catapult her to international glory,” stated Kipchumba Murkomen, Kenya’s sports activities minister. Her dying, he stated, marked “a tragic end to a blossoming life”.
Ugandan Sports activities Minister Peter Ogwang condemned the “barbaric and cowardly” assault that had taken her pace and stated the federal government would give more or less $13,000 to each and every of Cheptegei’s kids.
‘Bury me in Uganda’
Cheptegei lived within the highlands of western Kenya, an segment pervasive with world runners for its high-altitude coaching amenities. She got here forty fourth within the marathon on the Paris Olympics on August 11 – her ultimate race.
3 weeks nearest, Marangach attacked Cheptegei on September 1 as she returned from church along with her two daughters and more youthful sister within the village of Kinyoro.
Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, instructed the Reuters information company his daughter had approached police a minimum of 3 times to record court cases towards Marangach, who died a couple of days upcoming Cheptegei from burns sustained throughout the assault.
She suffered burns to 80 p.c of her frame and succumbed to her accidents 4 days nearest.
“I don’t think I am going to make it,” her father stated she instructed him day being handled in medical institution. “If I die, just bury me at home in Uganda.”
Cheptegei’s estranged husband, Simon Ayeko, with whom she had two daughters, stated the crowd used to be “extremely saddened”.
“As a father, it has been very difficult,” he instructed the AFP information company, including that he had no longer been ready to split the inside track to their kids. “Slowly, we will tell them the truth.”
Cheptegei’s dying sparked enrage over the tall ranges of violence towards girls in Kenya, in particular within the athletics people. The marathoner used to be the 3rd elite runner to die allegedly by the hands of a romantic spouse since 2021.
One in 3 Kenyan women and girls elderly 15 to 49 have suffered bodily violence, in keeping with govt knowledge from 2022.
Rights teams stated feminine athletes in Kenya are at a tall chance of exploitation and violence through males attracted to their prize cash, which a ways exceeds native earning.
Cheptegei’s carrying successes come with profitable the 2021 Global Mountain and Path Operating Championships in Thailand and a 12 months nearest incomes first park within the Padova Marathon in Italy and environment a countrywide file for the marathon.
The athlete used to be a “heroine”, native presidential consultant Bessie Little Ajilong instructed AFP.
“As leaders, we saw Cheptegei as an inspiration.”