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Rabat – Women’s rights organizations in Kenya are calling for immediate action to address the rising issue of gender-based violence, following the death of Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei.
The long-distance runner, who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics, succumbed to injuries after being set ablaze by her boyfriend in her home in western Kenya. She was hospitalized with severe burns covering 75 percent of her body, but tragically, did not survive.
Donald Rukare, president of the Uganda Olympic Committee, condemned the violent act, calling it cowardly and senseless.
The Ugandan Athletics Federation also expressed sorrow, stating Cheptegei was a victim of domestic violence.
Cheptegei’s death marks the third killing of a female athlete in Kenya since 2021.
Activists, including Njeri Migwi, founder of Usikimye, are urging authorities to treat these incidents as national emergencies.
Speaking to AFP on Wednesday, Migwi said that gender-based violence often goes unpunished in Kenya. “The patriarchal attitudes that we have in this country are abhorrent,” she stressed.
Migwi also pointed out that financial pressures, especially when women become the primary earners, can contribute to domestic violence.
“First and foremost, the government needs to take a stance, because the government doesn’t really do anything about it,” she told AFP.
The statistics on gender-based violence in Kenya reveal a troubling picture. According to the UN, 725 women died in gender-related killings in 2022. Campaigners believe these figures are underreported.
Local activists continue to press for more concrete actions, including legal reforms and safehouses for women fleeing domestic violence. Many believe the government’s response has been insufficient, urging it to declare femicide a national crisis and take stronger measures to prevent further tragedies.
