Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei is in a critical condition in a Kenyan hospital, after allegedly being doused with petrol and set on fire by a former boyfriend.

The 33-year-old marathon runner, who competed at the recent Paris Olympics, had suffered extensive burns, the doctor treating her said.

She was attacked at her home in western Kenya, where she had been training.

There are concerns about the increasing cases of violence against female athletes in Kenya, some of which have resulted in death.