The family of late Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei have accused Kenyan police of not acting quickly enough to save their daughter, who was haunted for months before her death.

Confirming their daughter’s death at a press conference at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret City on Thursday, Joseph Cheptegei said they had timely complained to the Criminal Investigation Department in Trans Nzoia County about her safety.

He said it was unfortunate that her daughter, who had been a pillar of the family, had been killed by someone she knew.

He said there was a time when Rebecca was transporting some personal belongings to Uganda and her ex-boyfriend was following her all the time and they filed a report at Endebes Police Station in Trans Nzoia County.

“On my part, the government authorities failed because we reported early enough about her safety as this man had even followed her to the Ugandan side, but they did not act quickly. It was obvious that her life was in danger,” said the devastated father.

“We filed the same complaint last Friday, but unfortunately he poured petrol on my daughter and she died… The government should act now, even if it is too late.”

Cheptegei went on to say how her daughter supported the family, especially those who were still in school. Their lives had now been turned upside down and they did not know what to do.

“We don’t know what to do now, but we are asking for support because she supported the family through her career. We are facing a great loss and the government should take action against this man,” he said, thanking doctors for trying to save their daughter’s life.

According to Dr. Kimani Mbugua, head of the operating room and intensive care unit, Cheptegei died early Thursday despite receiving intensive care at the hospital.

The doctor added that she suffered severe burns that led to multiple organ failure, including kidney and heart failure.

He said it was a multidisciplinary effort involving plastic surgeons, intensive care physicians, doctors, nurses, nutritionists and physiotherapists and that the main goal was to save her life.

“We would like to express our condolences to the family, the country and the whole world because the patient was an international sportsman and well known everywhere. We have interviewed the family and explained to them that we tried to save the patient’s life,” said Dr. Mbugua.

Her training colleague James Kirwa, who is stationed at the same camp in Kapkoros, Bukwo district, Uganda, said the athletes were devastated by the news because they knew Cheptegei as a humble athlete.

“It is sad that we lost our sister in this way. She was a hard-working athlete and it was clear to see when we trained together. I spoke to her after the Olympics and she was in great spirits and excited to start training again,” Kirwa said.

Salesio Murithi, deputy district commander of Trans Nzoia, said the athlete and her parents had filed a complaint against her ex-partner, which is now being processed by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI).

He said the complaint related to a land dispute.

“The case has been investigated by the DCI and given what happened, we will wait for the patient to recover so that we can charge him after the investigation is completed,” Murithi said.

In his condolence message, Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen expressed his sadness over the tragic loss of the Ugandan marathon runner.

“Rebecca was an outstanding athlete who showed resilience while representing Uganda and East Africa. Her passing is a loss not only to Uganda and the athletics community, but to the entire region.

This tragedy is a stark reminder that we must do more to combat gender-based violence in our society, which has reared its ugly head in elite sport circles in recent years.

“As a government, we remain committed to achieving justice for Rebecca. No one should have to go through such an ordeal. May her soul rest in peace,” the statement said.

Their compatriots Stella Chesang and Immaculate Chemtai were also at the hospital to offer their condolences to the family.