Activists join the march in Eldoret, Kenya, as Cheptegei's body begins its final journey to her family home in Bukwo, Uganda, for her funeral.The body of murdered Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei has begun its journey home to Uganda, accompanied by activists calling for an end to gender-based violence in Kenya.

The 33-year-old athlete succumbed to her wounds on September 5 after being attacked four days earlier by her Kenyan partner, who poured petrol over her and set her on fire.

It happened just weeks after she made her Olympic debut in the women's marathon in Paris, where she finished 44th.

Her funeral is planned for Saturday in Bukwo, home to her family in Uganda, but relatives in Kenya paid their respects on Friday in the Rift Valley town of Eldoret, near where she lived.

The cortege of slain Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei leaves the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital funeral home in Eldoret, Kenya [Edwin Waita/Reuters]

Cheptegei is the third athlete to have died in Kenya as a result of gender-based violence since 2021, provoking a global outpouring of tributes and rage.

Tony Sabila, Cheptegei's uncle, described her as "a pillar to the family" and expressed his sadness over her loss.

As the body passed through the town of Eldoret, scores of activists lined the road with others walking alongside the hearse.

At a rally the same day, many wore white shirts with an image of Cheptegei and carried white or red roses.

Others had signs reading, "Being a woman should not be a death sentence," and "A house where a woman is not safe is not a home."

Family members mourn next to Cheptegei's coffin in Eldo ...