Dickson Ndiema, the ex-lover to deceased Ugandan athlete Rebeca Cheptegei has died at Eldoret, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH), succumbing to the wounds incurred from the incident that saw him suffer burns to 30 per cent of his body.

Ndiema had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after being rushed to the medical facility following an altercation that saw Ndiema douse Cheptegei in petrol before setting her on fire.

Ndiema, a sports professional himself succumbed to the burns on Monday night. MTRH, however was yet to release a statement by the time of publishing this article.

Before his eventual death, it was widely expected that Ndiema would be charged with Cheptegei's murder once he fully recovered.

His death, brings the tale to a sad close especially since the case raised concerns over the increasing cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the country.

The United Nations (UN) had condemned the manner of Cheptegei's death and called for immediate action to address GBV cases.

 "Every 11 minutes, a woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member somewhere in the world. This must stop," Stéphane Dujarric, the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said in a statement on September 6.

Cheptegei who competed at the 2024 Olympics died 5 days ago still at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital after she herself succumbed to the burns covering 80 per cent of her body.

Cheptegei was rushed to the medical facility after the attack left her fighting for her life. It is reported that Ndiema allegedly attacked her over disagreement over a piece of land located in Chepkum Village, Trans Nzoia County. 

An official police report indicated Ndiema staged the attack on a Sunday after Cheptegei came from church with her two daughters.

Official reports also indicated that the two had been embroiled in a dispute over the contested piece of land for some time, an account which was corroborated by local authorities.

Cheptegei will be buried at her home at Bukwa District in Uganda on September 14 with the neighbouring country expected to give her a heroine's sendoff following her heroics at the Olympics and a stellar career.

The Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo has already released a statement confirming plans to name a sports venue after Cheptegei.