Activists be a part of the march in Eldoret, Kenya, as Cheptegei’s physique begins its last journey to her household house in Bukwo, Uganda, for her funeral.
The physique of murdered Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei has begun its journey house to Uganda, accompanied by activists calling for an finish to gender-based violence in Kenya.
The 33-year-old athlete succumbed to her wounds on September 5 after being attacked 4 days earlier by her Kenyan accomplice, who poured petrol over her and set her on hearth.
It occurred simply weeks after she made her Olympic debut within the girls’s marathon in Paris, the place she completed forty fourth.
Her funeral is deliberate for Saturday in Bukwo, house to her household in Uganda, however relations in Kenya paid their respects on Friday within the Rift Valley city of Eldoret, close to the place she lived.
Cheptegei is the third athlete to have died in Kenya because of gender-based violence since 2021, frightening a world outpouring of tributes and rage.
Tony Sabila, Cheptegei’s uncle, described her as “a pillar to the household” and expressed his disappointment over her loss.
Because the physique handed by way of the city of Eldoret, scores of activists lined the highway with others strolling alongside the hearse.
At a rally the identical day, many wore white shirts with a picture of Cheptegei and carried white or crimson roses.
Others had indicators studying, “Being a girl shouldn’t be a dying sentence,” and “A home the place a girl isn’t secure isn’t a house.”
Cheptegei was attacked outdoors her home in Endebass in Kenya. Native media reported her younger daughters and teenage sister witnessed the assault.
Her attacker, 32-year-old Dickson Ndiema Marangach, was additionally severely burned and died in hospital on Monday.
Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, instructed reporters the dispute with Marangach had been over the property the place she lived along with her sister and daughters. He instructed Kenyan media final week that Marangach had purchased 5 litres (1.3 gallons) of petrol after which hid out in a hen coop earlier than the assault.
“He poured the petrol and lit her on hearth. When she known as her sister to assist, he threatened her with a machete, and she or he ran away.”
The police stated the couple had “continuously had household wrangles”.
The United Nations condemned her “violent homicide” with Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres, saying: “Gender-based violence is without doubt one of the most prevalent human rights violations on the earth and must be handled as such.”
All through Kenya, 41 p.c of girls who’ve been married have skilled bodily violence, in contrast with 20 p.c of those that haven’t been married.
No less than 500 girls and women have been murdered in Kenya since 2016, based on the UN.
Figures from UN Ladies Africa present that globally, there have been 89,000 stories of girls and women murdered in 2022, the very best quantity recorded in 20 years. Greater than half of the ladies and women have been killed by intimate companions or different members of the family.
Kenya’s sports activities minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, stated the Olympian’s dying was a “stark reminder” that extra have to be performed to fight gender-based violence.
