Tue Sep 10 14:51:56 UTC 2024: ## Man Dies from Burns After Setting Ugandan Olympian on Fire

**Eldoret, Kenya** – Dickson Ndiema Marangach, the man accused of setting Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei on fire, has died from his injuries, a hospital official confirmed on Tuesday. Marangach sustained severe burns to over 41% of his body after the attack on September 1st, which left Cheptegei with burns covering more than 75% of her body. She died four days later.

Marangach, who was Cheptegei’s former boyfriend, died at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, where he was receiving treatment. His death comes as a result of respiratory failure caused by severe burns and sepsis.

The attack, which reportedly took place after Cheptegei returned home from church with her children, has shocked Kenya and highlighted the ongoing issue of domestic violence in the country, particularly within the running community.

Cheptegei, who competed in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, is the third elite sportswoman to be killed in Kenya since October 2021. Her death has sparked outrage and calls for increased protection of female athletes, who are often targeted for their prize money.

“This guy is dead because he killed my daughter,” Cheptegei’s father, Joseph Cheptegei, told Reuters. “He has died because of his actions.”

Viola Cheptoo, co-founder of Tirop’s Angels, a support group for survivors of domestic violence in Kenya’s athletic community, expressed disappointment at Marangach’s death. “Justice really would have been for him to sit in jail and think about what he had done,” she said. “This is not positive news whatsoever.”

The shock of Rebecca’s death is still fresh, and the tragedy has further fueled calls for action to address the alarming prevalence of domestic violence against women in Kenya. According to government data, nearly 34% of Kenyan girls and women aged 15-49 have suffered physical violence, with married women at particularly high risk.

While some find Marangach’s death a tragic end, others believe justice would have been served by him facing the full weight of the law. “I don’t wish bad things on anyone, but of course I would have loved for him to face the law as an example for others so that these attacks on women can stop,” said Beatrice Ayikoru, secretary-general of the Uganda Olympic Committee.

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