Doping in Kenya: Purity Temutai, Kennedy Kiprop Join Athletics Integrity Unit Wanted List

• Kenya is facing renewed pressure, with the doping issue seemingly creeping back
• The country has, in the past, risked a ban from World Athletics due to rampant cases
• Nine athletes have already been blacklisted by regulator, the Athletics Integrity Unit

The doping menace in Kenya has reared its ugly head once again, with nine athletes either suspended or banned by the Athletics Integrity Unit(AIU) this year alone.

Kennedy Kiprop Cheboror and Purity Temutai Komen became the latest entrants on AIU's list, with the body announcing their fate on March 6.

The former was put on provisional suspension for whereabouts failures, while Temutai was banned for six years after the prohibited Norandrosterone was found in her sample. The ban has been backdated to July 6, 2023, when she was initially put on suspension. Temutai won the Istanbul half marathon in 2023.

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Athletics

The two join a growing list that includes 2017 Tokyo women's marathon winner Sarah Chepchirchir. Chepchirchir, who was given a four-year ban in 2019 for abnormalities in her athlete blood passport, only returned to running last year.

Testosterone was found in her samples, leading to another provisional suspension, which culminated in an eight-year ban on February 13.

The doping issues have attracted the attention of Kenya's President William Ruto, who has continuously beseeched athletes not to indulge in things that will ruin their careers.

"I want to ask our sportsmen and women not to allow doping to ruin their profession. Kenya will not spare any efforts in the fight against doping. We will collaborate with partners, sportsmen and their contacts to tackle doping that threatens our heritage," he said after meeting with World Athletics President Lord Sebastien Coe in early 2023.

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Football

Complete list of Kenyan athletes either suspended or banned by AIU in 2024

Information courtesy of Athletics Integrity Unit.

Michael Saruni gets four-year ban

Sports Brief has previously reported that the Anti-Doping Association of Kenya(ADAK) banned Michael Saruni for four years.

Saruni, who is a former African record holder in the 800m indoor, was accused of trickery to avoid tests.