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The ex-boyfriend of the late Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died from burns he sustained after he allegedly set her on fire.
According to BBC News, Dickson Ndiema, Cheptegei's former partner, died on Monday (September 9) after suffering more than 30 percent burns to his body in the fatal gasoline attack against the Olympian. Ndiema and Cheptegei were both treated at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in the Kenyan town of Eldoret.
"It's true he has died from the [burn] injuries," Dr. Owen Menach, Director of Clinical Services and Surgery at the hospital, told BBC.
The news comes after Ndiema allegedly bought a jerrican of petrol, poured it on Cheptegei, and set her on fire during a dispute on September 1. Cheptegei's parents said the Ugandan athlete, who placed 44th in the marathon event at this year's Olympics, bought land in Kenya's Trans Nzoia so she could be close to the county's athletic training centers.
According to a report filed by the local chief, Cheptegei and her boyfriend were heard fighting over the land where the house was built before he set her ablaze.
Cheptegei reportedly sustained burns on 75 percent of her body. The Olympic runner succumbed to her injuries on Thursday (September 5).
Cheptegei "passed today morning at 5:30 am after her organs failed," Menach said at the time.
Kenyan Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen called Cheptegei's death a loss "to the entire region".
"This tragedy is a stark reminder that we must do more to combat gender-based violence in our society, which in recent years has reared its ugly head in elite sporting circles," Murkomen said in a statement.
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