The femicide of Ugandan Olympic marathoner Rebecca Cheptegei has sent shockwaves across the global sporting community, pulling back the curtain on the issue of gender-based violence in Africa. Cheptegei, 25, died on September 5, 2024 after being set on fire by her former romantic partner on her way home from church in Eldoret, Kenya. This tragedy has sparked widespread outrage and calls for stronger protective measures for women, particularly those in elite sports, who are increasingly becoming targets of coercive control.
Global Outrage
Human rights organizations and global bodies, including United Nations agencies and the World Athletics Federation, have reacted with anger and grief, highlighting systemic failures that leave women vulnerable to lethal violence. U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric described Cheptegei’s death as a “devastating reminder” of the broader epidemic of femicide, a phenomenon that claims the lives of six women every hour worldwide, according to U.N. statistics.
Questions are mounting over how such horrific acts continue to plague female athletes. Cheptegei’s case follows a series of high-profile femicides of women athletes in East Africa. In 2021, Kenya’s long-distance running star Agnes Tirop was stabbed to death, and in 2022, Olympic runner Damaris Muthee Mutua was found strangled—both at the hands of their male partners.
The Insidiousness of Coercive Control in Sports
Beatrice Ayikoru, Secretary General of the Uganda Athletics Federation, stressed that Cheptegei’s femicide should serve as a wake-up call for the sporting world:
“This is an eye-opener for many of us in sports. There is a silent violence against women, especially the female athletes. We need to fight for safe sports.”
The problem, however, extends far beyond the world of sports. Wangechi Wachira, executive director of the Center for Rights Education and Awareness in Kenya, stresses the importance of understanding femicide. She explains:
“By the time a woman reports to the police, she has already endured significant abuse.”
Entitlement to Women’s Earnings
Cheptegei’s murder, like those before her, underscores a disturbing pattern in which financial success among female athletes makes them targets for abuse due to misogynistic entitlement. Many, including Kenyan marathoner Viola Cheptoo Lagat, believe prize money is a critical factor driving these violent incidents:
“When they come back from races, their boyfriends want their money, and then they misuse it.”
She also criticized societal norms that have normalized violence against women, making it easier for perpetrators to act without fear of accountability.
Recognizing Gender-Based Violence in Sports
The sporting community is now grappling with how to address this growing crisis. World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has called for an urgent reassessment of safety policies for female athletes, emphasizing that protection must extend beyond the field and into their personal lives. But whether these proposals will lead to meaningful change remains an open question.
Despite the growing awareness, African governments and legal systems have been slow to act. Many women who report abuse face delays, indifference, or outright negligence from law enforcement. In cases like Cheptegei’s, where the violence escalates to femicide, it often becomes too late for justice.
A Community Effort
Kipchumba Murkomen, Kenya’s cabinet secretary for youth affairs and sports, acknowledged the rise in gender violence within the elite sports world and urged government officials to seek justice for the victims. But for advocates like Cheptoo, it will take more than just government intervention.
“It has to be a whole community coming together to end GBV. That way, we don’t have to say, ‘Not again.’”
Final Thoughts
The murders of women like Cheptegei, Tirop, and Mutua reflect a wider societal failure that transcends sport. In a region where gender inequality is deeply ingrained and women are often seen as second-class citizens, femicide remains an insidious, under-addressed issue. Without comprehensive reforms in law enforcement, cultural attitudes, and economic structures, the risk for women—athletes and otherwise—will remain perilously high.
As the world mourns Rebecca Cheptegei, the question now is whether her death will lead to tangible change or become another statistic in a long line of tragedies. For those on the frontlines of advocacy, the fight against femicide in Africa is only just beginning.
Bibliography
- Athumani, Halima. “Activists call Ugandan runner’s burning death femicide.” Voice of America English News, September 6, 2024.
- Armour, Nancy. “Horrific deaths of gymnast, Olympian reminder of violence women face daily. It has to stop.” USA Today. September 6, 2024.
