Thousands of people have turned out for the funeral of the Uganda Olympic athlete, Rebekah Cheptege, who was killed by a former boyfriend this month. The service is at her family's hometown, Bukwo. She will receive full military honors, having been a member of the Uganda Army Forces. 33-year-old marathon runner who competed in the Paris Games last month, died after being doused with petrol and satellite. Rebekah Cheptege's body was brought in from Kenya where she lived and trained. Her death has renewed concerned about the level of violence against women in Kenya. Her former partner has since died of his injuries. Our senior Africa correspondent, Anne Soye, has more.

Rebekah Cheptige was a much loved member of this community, and you can see that from the turnout today, there are easily thousands of people here coming to pay their last respects to somebody they describe as humble, who was willing to help members of the community, and who inspired many children to take up athletics. Earlier in the day, local councilors met here at Bupo district and passed a motion to name a street and a sports venue after her. Earlier, we heard from Paris, which is the city she ran her last marathon, that they are also planning to name a sports venue after her. Her death at just 33 has shocked many members of this community. She's the third athlete to die as a result of domestic violence in Kenya, where she lived in just three years. And therefore, this death has cast the spotlight on an endemic issue in the country, and those conversations are going on. Here today, fellow athletes are wearing black T-shirts with the inscription, Say no to gender-based violence.

Thanks to Anne for that. Well, earlier, I spoke to Sunita Kamehna, the UN's Ending Violence Against Women Policy Specialist in East and Southern Africa.

It's a horrible day, and it's a reminder that Rebecca's story is all too common, and we have a public emergency of violence against women and girls that is not being adequately addressed. We need to learn that Rebecca's experience could have been prevented, and without more urgent and collective action, we will continue to fail many women and girls just like Rebecca.

You talked there about urgent collective action. What does that mean? What action?

Well, what we know is that we need... Violence against women and girls is preventable, and everyone needs to be involved through comprehensive approaches that engage all members of society. We know that by increasing long-term funding and support to women's rights organizations, we can play a more critical role because they are developing the solutions to prevent and respond to violence against women. By promoting the leadership and participation of women and girls in decision-making and policy spaces that can also help ensure that the policies and programs meet the realities of their lives, and strengthening protection mechanisms to prevent and eliminate violence before it begins, addressing different forms of discrimination, including, again, women's human rights defenders, and investing in adequate research and data so that we can better understand what is driving femicide in certain contexts and how to better prevent it, and ultimately really stepping up our investments in prevention because we know that there are various strategies that have been proven effective to prevent violence and reach that critical mass to break the cycle of violence against women and girls.

We've been hearing voices raising their concerns, specifically in East Africa, in this region. Is there a particular issue here?

We know that the intentional killing of women or femicides and all forms of violence against women happen all over the world. That is not unique to East Africa. But we do know that there are factors that can either protect women and girls from violence or increase their risks. For example, recognizing violence against women as a violation of human rights grounded in discrimination and gender inequality rather than an individual isolated case is an important starting point. When we know when we can support relationships being equitable, not based on power over or control over one another, it's also less likely that violence will take place. When women's socioeconomic empowerment is celebrating and recognized as a benefit to everyone, regardless of their gender identity, women in public positions or successful will not be targeted for going against stereotypes, for example. Of course, we know that when laws and policies are enforced, violence against women will be recognized as a crime, and perpetrators of violence will be held to account for their actions. These are some of the factors that can contribute to making the region and the world safer for women and girls.

You listed there some of the things that need change and the difference is. I appreciate that. What time frames are we talking about, though, to try and implement that?

Well, we know that violence against women is a complex issue, but that doesn't mean that action can't be taken. There are immediate actions that can be taken, like upholding the laws, ensuring that the laws that are in place are enforced, they're resourced annually in state budgets, that the institutions who are responsible for protecting rights to live free of violence are actually being staffed adequately and have mechanisms to monitor progress against their commitments, and ensuring that there is also support for a wider society to be looking at this issue from a lens of it's something that can be prevented. Violence is not normal, it's not justified, and everyone has a role to play in taking action. These investments also need to be made over time in our education systems, in our health systems. Really working to transform society that is grounded currently in gender inequality to one that is based on tolerance, nonviolence, and equality for all.

Thanks to Sonita Kamuña for that. I just want to take you straight to Uganda. These are the live pictures. We have just seen the coffin be transported for what seems like the burial. Let's listen in.

Sala, mala, skum, up.

Badr, sam, come up. Up. Up. Up. Up, up. Up, up. Up, up.

Okay, let's pray. About how Father was blessed that Jesus Christ was named on a woman? We pray that we place this place where our Sister Rebecca is again, thanks be to be made. Lord, may they keep well in you. As we continue serving your special Lord, we shall meet in paradise as Jesus Christ, we serve you. Father, we thank you, we pray that we bless you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord.

Just to explain here that Rebekah Cheptege was, as well as a marathon runner, a former soldier, and that explains there the military elements to the funeral that we're seeing right now.

There you can see the numbers that have turned out for the funeral of Rebecca Jepgei, who was set on fire by her former boyfriend.

That was in Kenya, where she lived and trained her body brought back here to Uganda, to where she's from. You can see Mornas, her family there, fellow athletes there, as well as soldiers there, as a former soldier herself, the military component of this funeral explained by that. We will leave the coverage there of the funeral taking place in Bukwo in Uganda.