A Ugandan athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei, has passed away days after her boyfriend Dickson Ndiema allegedly set her on fire.

Cheptegei, who lived in Kenya, represented Uganda at the 2024 Paris Olympics and finished 44th in the women’s marathon event.

According to local authorities, the 33-year-old was doused in petrol and set ablaze during a domestic dispute with her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, on Sunday, September 2.

Cheptegei suffered burns on 80 percent of her body and was rushed to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret City. While Ndiema was also admitted to the hospital for less critical burn.

The attack allegedly stemmed from a disagreement over land ownership, which Cheptegei’s parents claim she had purchased to be closer to the region’s renowned athletic training centers.