A Ugandan Olympic athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei, is currently nursing severe injuries she sustained from the petrol attack by her Kenyan boyfriend.
Cheptegei, who lives in Kenya and is a distance runner who finished 44th at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was set ablaze by her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema.
She is currently receiving treatment for 75% burns at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
Jeremiah Ole Kosiom, the police commander in charge of Trans Nzoia County, said the suspect was also admitted to the same hospital with severe burns.
Police say the couple engaged in loud arguments and disagreements that were overheard by eyewitnesses between the two before the incident happened.
The source says the couple had disagreed in regards to property, including a house in which they live and share.
“We are carrying out investigations and collecting evidence from the scene, including a jerry can of petrol and other personal items,” said Kosiom.
Cheptegei ran in the women’s marathon during the Paris Olympic Games alongside teammates Stella Chesang and Mercyline Chelangant in August.
She also took part in the 2021 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, held in 2022, winning gold in the uphill and downhill races.