MenEngage Africa and Sonke Gender Justice are saddened by the death of Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who tragically fell victim to domestic violence. The athlete, who recently participated impressively at the 2024 Paris Olympics, succumbed to her injuries inflicted on her by her former boyfriend, Dickson Marangach, who allegedly set her on fire.
MEA & Sonke passes condolences to the family and entire sports fraternity. “It is very sad both for Kenya and the continent that we have lost such talent at the prime of her career when we still expected a lot from her. More needs to be done to ensure that as a society we provide adequate protective environment for such national asserts,” said Bafana Khumalo of Sonke Gender Justice.
Like in many countries, gender-based violence is rife in Kenya, as a survey from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics notes that 34% of girls and women of the age 15 to 49 had experienced physical violence since they were aged 15, with some cases going unreported. In October 2021, long-distance runner Agnes Tirop was stabbed to death at her home, while in 2022, Damaris Mutua, was found dead at her boyfriend’s home, allegedly strangled.
Such incidents remind us of the urgent need to prioritise the fight against gender-based violence in the continent, and for the civil society community to strengthen their efforts in addressing this scourge, hold governments and legal systems to account. “We need to redouble our efforts in working with men and boys to undermine toxic masculinities. MEA remains committed to make its own contributions to eliminating harmful practices in our communities,” concluded Sithembile Gumede, MEA chairperson.
Issued by Sonke Gender Justice.
