Kenyan athletes say death of Cheptegei's alleged killer is 'justice'

Bangkok Post Group

Athletes training in Kenya's Iten on Tuesday reacted to the death of the alleged killer of Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, saying that most people are "happy" and that "justice has been done". - REUTERS

Transcript

00:00At this training ground in Kenya's Iten, there was a sense of relief on Tuesday.

00:07Athletes here have learned that the man accused of fatally setting fire to Ugandan marathon

00:12runner Rebecca Cheptegei had died from injuries he sustained in the attack.

00:17I think most of the people are happy now that the gentleman has passed away.

00:22Cheptegei, who competed at the Paris Olympics, had a house in Kenya where she stayed while

00:26training in the country.

00:28She died on September 5th at a hospital in the Kenyan city Eldoret, four days after the

00:34alleged attack.

00:35Her former boyfriend, Dixon Ndiema Marangach, was accused of dousing the 33-year-old in

00:41petrol and setting her on fire.

00:44On Tuesday, the hospital said he had succumbed to his injuries on Monday evening.

00:49For the death of the perpetrator, I can say.

00:52For Mildred Cherop, justice has been done.

00:56Why is that?

00:58Perhaps if he could have been alive and taken to court, perhaps the victim would not have

01:05gotten justice.

01:08Perhaps he would have raised money and get out of police cells and eventually out of

01:14jail.

01:17And at the end of it all, the victim would not have got justice.

01:23The incident has drawn focus to the issue of domestic violence in Kenya, where, according

01:28to government data, nearly 34 per cent of girls and women aged 15 to 49 have suffered

01:34physical violence.

01:36Cheptegei was the third elite sportswoman killed in the country since October 2021.

01:43Rights groups say female athletes in Kenya, where many international runners train in

01:47the high-altitude highlands, are at high risk of exploitation and violence at the hands

01:53of men drawn to their prize money.

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