Kenyan gender activists demand action against femicide as Olympian dies - September 06, 2024

Daybreak Africa - VOA Africa

The people of Kenya, Uganda, and the world at large are mourning the shocking death of long-distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei. She died Thursday at a hospital in Kenya, days after her boyfriend poured gasoline over her and lit it. Cheptegei is a Kenyan who competed for Uganda in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Local media reports said Cheptegei and her estranged lover, Daniel Ndiema, frequently argued over a house and a plot of land. The incident has highlighted the debate about gender-based violence in Kenya and femicide, or intentional killing motivated by gender. Gender activist Shillah Scribes of Kenya tells VOA’s James Butty, she hopes authorities will hold Cheptegei’s partner accountable as a lesson for other men who might be tempted to commit a similar act of violence.