NAIROBI, Kenya — A high-profile age cheating scandal involving Kenyan athletes has emerged after an investigation by Athletics Kenya (AK) and World Athletics found at least 20 competitors guilty of falsifying their ages to gain an unfair advantage in age-restricted events, a report said on Tuesday.
The probe, which examined 60 cases dating back to 2016, cleared 25 athletes but found evidence of age manipulation in 20 instances, with 15 additional cases still under investigation.
Joseph Ilovi, secretary of AK’s Youth and Development Committee, confirmed that those found guilty have been barred from competing locally while awaiting guidance from World Athletics on further sanctions.
Scandal Reaches Elite Levels
The investigation revealed that four of the athletes implicated were medallists at the 2021 World Under-20 Athletics Championships, raising concerns that results and accolades may be rescinded if international bodies impose sanctions.
New cases have also emerged from recent competitions, including the 2025 Africa Athletics Under-20 and Under-18 Championships held in Nigeria.
AK officials said that teachers and coaches at the high school level were involved in manipulating birth records, often without parental knowledge, to secure competitive advantages and college scholarships abroad.
“Most of those found to have falsified their ages are now competing at senior level, with some having secured scholarships to study at colleges in the US,” Ilovi said.
The scandal has also identified ten schools implicated in facilitating falsified birth documents, prompting AK to seek urgent discussions with the Ministry of Education on appropriate disciplinary measures.
Ilovi explained that inconsistent birth certificates and passports enabled the fraud to persist undetected for years, undermining the integrity of age-group competitions.
World Athletics Response
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has previously warned that athletes found guilty of age cheating could be stripped of titles and medals and face sanctions similar to those for doping offences.
The investigation was carried out in partnership with the immigration department, the civil registry, and World Athletics, reflecting a multi-agency effort to root out systematic age fraud.
The report noted the issue is not unique to Kenya, with other countries including Nigeria, South Africa, and Ethiopia also under scrutiny for age manipulation offences in athletics.
AK president Jack Tuwei has emphasized that local collaborators, including coaches and officials, could face legal consequences as authorities explore whether document forgery and administrative misconduct warrant prosecution.
Further action and potential international sanctions are expected once World Athletics issues formal guidance on penalties for those found guilty and the status of results achieved in competitions tainted by age fraud.