Kenya’s athletics fraternity has been dealt another heavy blow after marathon star Ruth Chepngetich was slapped with a four-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for a doping offence.
The ruling, announced this week, adds to the growing list of elite Kenyan runners sanctioned for violating anti-doping rules, further deepening concerns over the country’s clean sport image.
Chepngetich, a former world marathon champion and one of Kenya’s top long-distance athletes, tested positive for a prohibited substance during an out-of-competition test conducted earlier this year.
The AIU confirmed that the banned substance detected in her system was consistent with performance enhancement.
The 30-year-old athlete, who has previously represented Kenya at major global events, including the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, has now been barred from all competitive athletics until 2028.
The AIU also indicated that all her results, medals, and titles achieved after the date of the positive test would be disqualified.
In its statement, the AIU noted, “The athlete has been found in violation of Article 2.1 of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules. The presence of a prohibited substance in her sample constitutes an anti-doping rule violation, leading to a four-year period of ineligibility.”
Before the ban, Chepngetich had established herself as one of the leading figures in women’s marathon running. She won the 2019 World Marathon Championship in Doha and was known for her aggressive front-running style and consistency in major city marathons, including Chicago and Istanbul.
Her impressive performances had made her one of Kenya’s most recognizable female marathoners, and she was widely viewed as part of the next generation of Kenyan road-racing greats.
However, her career now joins the growing list of Kenyan athletes undone by doping violations.
Kenya has faced increasing scrutiny over the past few years due to the high number of doping cases among its athletes.
The country remains under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)’s watchlist and continues to implement stricter measures through the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK).
In 2023, over 60 Kenyan athletes were under suspension or investigation for various anti-doping violations, a trend that has continued to worry global athletics authorities.
Athletics Kenya (AK) has repeatedly called on athletes to adhere strictly to anti-doping education and testing protocols, emphasizing that doping tarnishes the nation’s global image.
AK President Jackson Tuwei has in the past warned that continued violations could lead to heavier sanctions against Kenya from the world athletics governing body.