The tragic death of Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei, who was set on fire by a former partner, has drawn attention to the pervasive issue of intimate partner violence (IPV).

Intimate partner violence affects nearly 30% of women globally and encompasses a range of behaviors including emotional abuse, sexual coercion, and physical violence. It can occur in any relationship regardless of socioeconomic status​.

On September 1, Cheptegei was fatally attacked by her former partner, Dickson Ndiema, after returning home from church with her two daughters. Neighbors witnessed Ndiema pouring a jerry can of gasoline on Cheptegei before setting her on fire; the two had been arguing over land she had bought, and a house she had built on it, to be near a training center for elite runners. During the attack, one of Cheptegei’s daughters attempted to intervene but was also assaulted. Despite being taken to MoiNe Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Cheptegei succumbed to her injuries due to multi-organ failure on Thursday.

This was not the first malicious act between Cheptegei and Ndiema. Cheptegei had alerted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations about threats to her life before her death, including a prior police report in Trans Nzoia County due to stalking. Just days before her murder, another complaint was filed, but authorities failed to act in time.

“I blame her death on negligence by the government because the authorities should have taken it seriously when we first reported that this man was fighting her,” Cheptegei’s father lamented. ”They didn’t take any action to save her life.”

Not much is known about Ndiema except for a few details that have emerged since the fatal attack and through his semi-private Facebook account. Ndiema was not the father of Cheptegei's two daughters, and the pair had been separated for some time prior to the attack.

Ndiema's online presence shows his involvement in marathon running and interests in technology and electronics. Ndiema is currently hospitalized due to burn injuries he........

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