Mr Cheptegei, who hails from an area just across the Ugandan border, is said to have bought land and built a home in Trans Njoia County, near many of Kenya's sports training centres.
“This was a cowardly and senseless act that resulted in the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will live on,” Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Lucare told X., external.
Speaking to reporters earlier this week, her father, Joseph Cheftegei, said he had prayed “for justice for my daughter,” adding that he had never seen such inhumanity in his life.
Cheptegei recently finished 44th in the marathon at the Paris Olympics.
She also won a gold medal at the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Her death comes two years after the murders of East African athletes Agnes Tirov and Damaris Mutua, with authorities identifying their partners as prime suspects.
Tirop's husband is now accused of murder, which he denies, and the search for Mutua's boyfriend continues.
