PARIS: Paris paid a poignant tribute to Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei on Sunday, displaying her picture on a giant screen at the Esplanade des Invalides following the Paralympic marathon events. The tribute comes in the wake of Cheptegei’s tragic death on Thursday, which occurred four days after she was attacked in Kenya.
Cheptegei, a 33-year-old marathon runner who competed in the Paris Olympics, suffered severe burns to over 75 percent of her body after being doused in petrol and set on fire by her boyfriend in Kenya.
This act of violence has shocked both the sporting community and the public, highlighting a distressing pattern of violence against females in Kenya. Cheptegei’s death marks her as the third prominent sportswoman to be killed in the country since October 2021.
During the tribute, spectators at the Paris venue applauded as Cheptegei’s picture was displayed, commemorating her contributions to athletics and honoring her memory.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced on Friday that the French capital would name a sports facility in Cheptegei’s honor. “An emotional thought for Rebecca Cheptegei,” Hidalgo said in a press conference.
“We saw her, her beauty, her strength, her freedom. Paris will not forget her, and we will dedicate a sports venue to her so that her memory and her story will be present among us.”
Cheptegei’s death is a stark reminder of the ongoing issue of violence against women in Kenya. According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022, an alarming 41 percent of women in Kenya have experienced physical or sexual violence from their partners.
