LINK:https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0494wl6lkgo
On September 5 in western Kenya, Rebecca Cheptegei was pronounced dead. Four days earlier she had been in a fire, a scene that many couldn’t have missed. It didn’t take the police long to find out what happened and how it happened. Rebecca Cheptegei had gotten into a dispute with her ex, Dickson Ndiema, about a piece of land. The ending wasn’t pretty, hence the reason why Dickson had poured petrol before lightning her home on fire. Unfortunately, Dickson had gotten some of the petrol on himself causing him to also get burned in the process. 75%-80% of Rebecca’s body had suffered burns, while Dickson had only received 30%. Both were later pronounced dead in the same hospital. Rebecca had admitted her confusion before she died, claiming that it was upsetting that he couldn’t remember at least one thing she did for him. Her Death had caused an outrage in Kenya with many chanting, “Say no to gender-cased violence.” This wasn’t the first time a female athlete was murdered, and there is a big belief that it is because women are now gaining more independence than before. Causing this uproar, many hope that her death will not be in vain.
Stories like these have always peaked my interest and every time I see the reason for someone’s death becoming less and less valid. Of course a dispute over land is no little argument, but death was not deserved. There are a lot of parts in the world where women are still being oppressed and are expected to stay at home and take care of the house and kids. So to see the rise in awareness in this is quite heartwarming to a certain extent. Rebecca Cheptegei was a wonderful Olympian from Uganda, and though it is sad to see her dead it is also very motivating to see that her death will be so much more than being apart of some data one day.
Rebecca Cheptegei was the third athlete to die in the span of three years. 2021, Agnes Tirop met her fate by a stabbing and six months later Damaris Mutua was strangled to death. Authorities suspected current or former partners to be the attacker. The women in Kenya have now started voicing their concerns, a study in 2022 had showed that 34% of women had experienced physical violence at some point in their lives. This doesn’t even involve all the other types of abuse and oppression of women. Rebecca Cheptegei’s death truly highlighted this, bringing unknown awareness to many people’s eyes. This event could be the turning point for women in Kenya, and could start the call for women to start their independence.
This story caught my attention because I read stories like this all the time. Though it doesn’t relate much to what we talk about in class, or for what we are talking about class at the moment. It doesn’t relate much to foreign policies or government, but seeing as Cheptegei was apart of the olympics this felt somewhat like a world loss to me. Seeing her effect on kenya too, it really reminds me of how different the world is out side of the place I have lived my entire life.