Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei, who died earlier this month after being set on fire by her ex-partner in Kenya, has been laid to rest in Uganda on Saturday.
The 33-year-old, who made her debut in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics this summer, died last week from serious burns after being attacked by Dickson Ndiema Marangach.
The savage assault stunned the East African area and sparked a global outpouring of support, with activists condemning yet another incident of gender-based violence.
The athlete’s body crossed the Kenya-Uganda border late Friday afternoon, ahead of her funeral in the family’s town of Bukwo, around 380 kilometers (240 miles) northeast of Uganda’s capital, Kampala.
According to Beatrice Ayikoru, secretary general of Uganda’s Olympic Committee and a member of the burial organizing committee, the late Olympian was a sergeant in the Uganda Peoples’ Defense Forces, so will be buried with military honors.
Attending the burial was fellow athletes and other well meaning individuals.
Written by Cheta Enyoghasi
