By Amos Ssemuwemba
This afternoon, Parliament is set to hold a special plenary session at 2:00 PM to pay tribute to Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who was recently murdered in Kenya. Cheptegei’s brutal killing has shocked the nation, reigniting discussions on the growing epidemic of gender-based violence.
Cheptegei was allegedly set on fire by her former boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, in a horrific incident that has left the sporting community and Ugandans reeling. She is the third prominent athlete to be killed in Kenya by a partner, following the tragic deaths of Kenyan long-distance runner Agnes Tirop in October 2021 and Bahraini athlete Damaris Mutua in 2022. Both Tirop and Mutua were killed by their partners, marking a disturbing pattern of violence against women athletes.
Women’s rights activists, including the Women Probono Initiative, have expressed outrage over Cheptegei’s death. In a statement issued on September 7, 2024, the group condemned the increasing cases of gender-based violence and called for urgent action. “The systematic negligence of gender-based violence is in itself an act of violence against women. Women are not disposable; their deaths are not mere statistics, and we will not allow their voices to be silenced,” the statement read in part.
The Women Probono Initiative emphasized that Cheptegei’s murder was not an isolated incident but part of a broader epidemic of violence against women, both in Uganda and globally. The statement referenced alarming statistics from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which revealed that every 11 minutes, a woman or girl is killed by a partner or family member worldwide.
In Uganda, the Police Annual Crime Report 2023 showed a staggering 14,681 reported cases of gender-based violence, translating to an average of 40 cases per day. Despite these numbers, activists argue that many cases go unreported, leaving countless women vulnerable to abuse.
Rebecca Cheptegei leaves behind two young daughters, whose futures have been shattered by this senseless act of violence. Parliament’s tribute to the fallen athlete is expected to shine a light on the urgent need for stronger policies to protect women and hold perpetrators accountable.
As the country mourns Cheptegei’s death, women’s rights organizations continue to push for comprehensive reforms to address the scourge of gender-based violence in Uganda and beyond.