Another Woman Burned with Boiling Water by Boyfriend, Days After Olympian Cheptegei’s Tragic Death
The scourge of gender-based violence has claimed another victim in Kenya, as 29-year-old Nelly Wanjiku from Kiambu County fights to recover from a vicious assault by her boyfriend.
This chilling incident occurred just days after the death of Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei, who succumbed to burn injuries allegedly inflicted by her partner.
Wanjiku’s life was forever altered on the night of August 29, 2024, when her partner turned a routine evening into a nightmare. “He said he was hungry. I started warming his food. But before I was done, he said he was thirsty and started warming water to drink. Before I knew it, he was facing me with the kettle open, and suddenly, he poured the boiling water on me,” Wanjiku recalled, her voice trembling with the painful memory.
The brutal attack left her with severe burns, but the terror didn’t stop there. In a desperate attempt to protect her child, she fled to her baby’s nanny, pleading with her to escape. “I told her to take my daughter and run away. He wasn’t finished with me yet,” she said, reliving the horror of that night.
Despite her efforts to flee, her attacker followed her through the house, tormenting her with cold indifference. “It felt like a horror movie. He was tormenting me, just following me. I had no idea what he would do next,” she said, still shaken by the ordeal.
Neighbors, alerted by her screams, rushed to her aid, taking her to the hospital, where she has been receiving treatment for the severe burns. Meanwhile, her assailant fled the scene and remains at large, prompting an active police search.
Authorities have filed a report at the local police station under OB number 03/29/08/2024 and have urged the public to provide any information that could lead to his capture.
Reflecting on the attack, Wanjiku believes her boyfriend’s rage was ignited by her refusal to move in with him. “He wanted us to live together, but I wasn’t ready, and neither was he. I helped him set up a business, but I needed to focus on growing my career. That’s when things started falling apart,” she explained.
Her emotional wounds run deep as she comes to terms with the fact that her attacker is still on the run. “Every time I felt pain, I prayed for justice, that this suffering would not be in vain, that he would be caught,” she said, determined to find closure.
The attack has reignited conversations about gender-based violence in Kenya, with chilling parallels drawn to the recent death of Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei.
As Wanjiku begins her long road to recovery, she joins a growing list of women whose lives have been shattered by domestic violence. “Today, I can see that God has helped me a lot. I’m beginning to feel like myself again, but I know this journey is far from over,” she shared, a sense of resilience evident in her words.
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Another Woman Burned with Boiling Water by Boyfriend, Days After Olympian Cheptegei’s Tragic Death
