The gruesome death of a Ugandan Olympic athlete is the latest in a series of violence against female athletes in Kenya

The horrific death of Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei after she was doused in petrol and set on fire by her boyfriend has once again highlighted the harrowing history of domestic violence against female athletes in Kenya.

Her murder follows the deaths of at least two other high-profile female runners in domestic violence cases over the past three years in a region that has produced dozens of Olympic and world champions.

What happened to Cheptegei?

Cheptegei, originally from Uganda, died on Thursday at the age of 33. Police said her boyfriend poured a can of petrol over her and set her on fire during an argument on Sunday. She suffered 80 per cent burns and died in a hospital in the town of Eldoret four days later.

The boyfriend was also burned in the attack and is being treated at the same hospital. No criminal charges have yet been filed against him.

Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics less than a month ago, where she finished 44th. She lived in the famous high-altitude training region of western Kenya, which attracts the world’s best distance runners, and had recently built a house there to be close to the training centres.

Agnes Tirop

The brutal murder of Kenyan star runner Tirop in the same region in 2021 sparked anger among fellow athletes and prompted sports authorities in the East African country to recognise the scourge of domestic violence as a major problem.

Tirop was one of Kenya’s most successful athletes when she was stabbed to death at her home in Iten, Kenya’s other world-renowned distance running training town, alongside Eldoret. Her husband, who was on the run, was arrested days after the killing and charged with murder. His trial is still ongoing.

Like Cheptegei, Tirop, 25, had just competed in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and set a new world record in the 10-kilometer road race at another competition a month before his death. His body was found with stab wounds to his stomach and neck, as well as a blunt force injury to his head.

In the weeks since Tirop’s death, current and former male and female athletes have spoken out against what they say is a long-standing problem of domestic violence against female athletes in the region. Some have marched in the streets of Iten to demand better protection for female athletes and tougher laws against abusers.

Other Kenyan athletes such as former African steeplechase champion Ruth Bosibori and marathon runner Joan Chelimo said Tirop's murder had encouraged them to speak out about their own abusive relationships.

Both said they had escaped violent partners who made them fear for their lives.

Damaris Muthee

Just six months after Tirop, another runner was killed. Kenyan-born Muthee, who was representing Bahrain, was found dead in a house in Iten after being strangled. Her decomposing body had been there for several days before being found, authorities said at the time.

An Ethiopian runner with whom she was in a relationship has been charged with murder. Muthee, who was 28, had a young child from another relationship.

Cases of domestic violence in Kenya's running community are contrasted with the country's very high rates of violence against women, which have sparked protests by ordinary citizens in cities this year.

Campaigners say successful female athletes can be particularly vulnerable in cases where their partners want to control their money and assets in a poor region and the women refuse and resist.

Police said Cheptegei was killed during an argument with her boyfriend over land on which she had recently built a house.

Samuel Wanjiru

One of Kenya's top male athletes also died in 2011, in what authorities said was a domestic dispute. Wanjiru was 24 and an Olympic marathon champion at the time. He fell from a balcony of his home during an argument with his wife.

He had been arrested a year earlier and questioned by police for allegedly threatening to kill his wife with an assault rifle. He denied the accusations.

Although Kenyan authorities said Wanjiru died after falling or jumping from the balcony, his family claimed he was killed.

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AP Africa News: https://apnews.com/hub/africa