Deeply Ingrained Femicide In Kenyan Sports After Cheptegei

A deeply ingrained femicide debate has escalated in Kenyan sports after Cheptegei’s death yesterday. This is the fourth female athlete who passed away after being killed by her boyfriend or husband in the past three years.

A clear spark of gender-based violence in Uganda and Kenya is now on the rise after the death of Rebecca Cheptegei, the Olympic athlete, on Thursday. Dickson Ndiema Marangach, her boyfriend, set her on fire, and she later died from multiple organ failures.

(Also read: Ugandan Olympic Athlete Died In A Fire Attack By Her Boyfriend)

Michelle Bachelet, who served as a High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2022, said, “Violence against women in all of its forms is a human rights violation. It’s not something that any culture, religion or tradition propagates”.

Similarly, an Irish missionary, Colm O’Connell, who is also known as the father of Kenyan running cited, “Men lurking around prepared to cash in on somebody else’s efforts” is the true depiction of what happened with the Olympic idol and other cases in Kenyan sports.

She took home gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in 2022.

Cheptegei and many other cases of femicide in Kenyan sports

Cheptegei was heard arguing with her boyfriend over the ownership of her home before death. Several women athletes have fought for their land and money, and threats by partners that resulted in domestic violence, and ultimately, death.

Cheptegei and her children were coming back from church when her boyfriend entered her home sneakily. Cheptegei’s land in Trans Nzoia County became the reason for their fight. Her father mentioned that the two of them had stopped seeing each other. He has asked the authorities for the security of her children and property.

Runner Agnes Tirop’s husband, Ibrahim Rotich, fatally stabbed her in 2021. She was twice a bronze medallist in the 10,000m World Championship.

Dsmatis Mutua, runner, was found killed in her boyfriend’s house in 2022.

A committee on gender welfare in Kenya sports conducted a survey after Tirop’s murder. The report revealed that 11 per cent of Kenyan athlete females are victims of femicide, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

According to the Demographic and Health Survey in Kenya 2023 report, 41 per cent of married women have faced physical assault in comparison with 20 per cent of unmarried females. This data corroborates with World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics that said that one in three women face physical or sexual violence either from their intimate partners or husbands.

Another report on gender-based violence suggested that one-third of the girls have experienced physical violence in Kenya. 500 women and girls have been killed since 2016. At least 10 women were killed in January 2024 only.

A UN Women report in 2022 disclosed some more shocking statistics regarding femicide. Just in Africa, the number of women killed by their partners has surpassed 20,000. The remaining figures entailed 18,400 in Asia, 7,900 in America and 2,300 in Europe.

Besides, 34 per cent of the age bracket that is the most vulnerable victim group for femicide is from 15 to 49 years of age. The data was released by Kenya’s National Bureau of Statistics in 2022.

Joan Chelimo, an activist and athlete, said, “This sport, you sacrifice a lot, and you just end up being abused, end up in the grave. Now, I hope there will be something to be done because I don’t know how many more lives we need to lose so that they wake up”.

At present, women’s rights organisations in Kenya are actively seeking immediate action against the Olympic star’s death resulting from evident femicide and to address the rising issue of gender-based violence in the region.