Athlete Rebecca Cheptegei will be given a military burial at Bukwo in Uganda on Saturday, September 14, 2024.
Her family led by her father Mzee Joseph Cheptegei confirmed that the deceased was a member of the Uganda People Defense Forces (UPDF) and hence she will be laid to rest with full military honors.
Cheptegei said they were working with both the Kenya and Uganda governments to ensure she is given a befitting send-off at Bukwo which is in the Eastern part of Uganda.
A week ago, she was attacked by her former boyfriend who doused her body with petrol and lit fire leading to her death at the Moi Referral Hospital in Eldoret last Thursday.
“We have started funeral arrangements to give my daughter a good send-off which will be done by the military in Uganda,” said Mzee Cheptegei.
A postmortem on the body of Cheptegei will be done at the hospital on Wednesday.
“The hospital asked us to have the postmortem done and we accepted because it will help us to know what led to her death and also it will be part of closure for us as we mourn her death,” said Mzee Cheptegei.
After the postmortem, the body will be removed from the morgue on Thursday morning and handed to the family and UPDF and later escorted to her home in Endebes Trans Nzoia where it will stay for a night vigil.
“She lived there, and we will give residents time to pay her last respects and also for prayers,” he said.
Come Friday the body will be taken by road to Bukwo in Uganda for another overnight vigil ahead of burial on Saturday.
Top officials from the two countries are expected to attend the funeral.
