Dickson Ndiema, the former boyfriend of Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, has succumbed to injuries sustained after setting her on fire in a deadly attack. A Kenyan hospital official confirmed Ndiema’s death late Monday, following his admission to the intensive care unit with severe burns covering over 30% of his body.
The tragic incident occurred more than a week ago when Ndiema ambushed Cheptegei as she was returning home from church. He doused her with petrol and set her ablaze, reportedly due to a dispute over a small piece of land in north-west Kenya, where Cheptegei lived and trained.
Ndiema passed away from his injuries after battling for his life in the hospital.
“It’s true he has died from the [burn] injuries,” Dr Owen Menach from Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in the town of Eldoret told the BBC.
Rebecca Cheptegei, the Ugandan Olympic marathon runner, passed away last Thursday from severe burns, which she sustained in an attack four days earlier. Cheptegei suffered from 80% burns after being set on fire by her former boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema.
Witnesses reported hearing screams before Cheptegei ran towards them, pleading for help. Ndiema, who was admitted to Moi Hospital with severe burns, was the primary suspect in the attack. Police had planned to charge him with murder before his own death.
A notable figure in athletics, Cheptegei represented Uganda in the Paris Olympics earlier this year, finishing 44th in the marathon. She was widely respected in her community and will be laid to rest on Saturday at her ancestral home in Bukwo, Uganda.
SOURCE: BBC
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