The body of athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has been removed from the the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital morgue in Eldoret for her final journey ahead of burial at Bukwo in Uganda.
Emotions ran high as the family of Cheptegei led by her father Mzee Joseph Cheptegei received the body at the morgue.
Female athletes and gender activists joined the family at the morgue for the procession through Eldoret town on the way to Trans Nzoia.
Earlier several athletes and activists gathered at the morgue to collect the body and escort the hearse through the city.
The procession is also part of the fight against femicide and GBV that has led to the death of several top runners in the recent past.
They were joined by human and women rights activists in a match from Zion Mall in the town to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital morgue.
“I am so saddened by the premature death of my daughter. May God rest her soul in peace,” Mzee Cheptegei said.
The event is organized by End Femicide Kenya Movement.
Female lawyers have also joined the call to fight femicide and will be part of the sensitization procession in Eldoret.
Lawyer Mercy Rutto said they were alarmed by increased cases of femicide and GBV targeting mostly female athletes.
“We will take action to help protect and enforce the rights of women to life especially the athletes," she said.
The women have listed recent cases of athletes who were murdered in the region including Edith Muthoni, Damaris Mutua, Agnes Tirop and latest case of Cheptegei.
She will be accorded a military burial by the UPDF on Saturday.
