Ugandan athlete who died after her partner set her on fire gets a military funeral

Associated Press

BUKWO, Uganda (AP) — Thousands of mourners in Uganda have paid respects to Rebecca Cheptegei, the Olympic athlete who died last week in Kenya after her partner set her on fire, at a military funeral in a remote town near the Kenyan border. Military officers played a prominent role in Saturday’s funeral as Cheptegei held the rank of sergeant in Uganda’s army, according to a military spokesman. Athletes, family members and others delivered their eulogies before thousands in a sports field in the district of Bukwo. Cheptegei, who was 33, died after her body suffered 80% burns in a gasoline attack by her partner at her home in western Kenya on Sept. 3.