Durban – The death of Dickson Ndiema who fatally set ablaze his former girlfriend Rebecca Cheptegesi has prompted a debate about justice.
Upset that he had been denied a share of the piece of land that Cheptegesi bought for herself – spurned boyfriend Ndiema doused the athlete with petrol and set her alight on Sunday, (1 September 2024).
Cheptegesi, who recently participated in the Paris Olympics, passed away four days later at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya.
Burning in flames, the Ugandan athlete, ran to her neighbours to seek help. The fire was eventually extinguished leaving her hospitalised with 80 percent burn wounds.
During the cruel attack, 32-year-old Ndeima also sustained burns and was hospitalised.
This week on Monday hospital authorities announced that Ndeima had succumbed to his burn wounds.
Ndeima’s death has sparked debate on whether his demise was justice or an escape from Justice.
Aljazeera reports that the television station spoke to several young people who had various comments to make.
Cheptegesi’s death has shed light on the plight of many women who suffer from gender-based violence in Kenya.
As the debates continue, Dickson Ndiema’s case has exposed the deep-seated flaws in the justice system and how other women feel about gender-based violence.
The murder of the 33-year-old Olympian has put gender-based violence under the spotlight.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, 38% of women aged 15,49 experienced violence in 2022, while 23% faced emotional violence.
This highlights the amount of need that has to be stood for and addressed in Kenya to prevent gender-based violence.
