By Kenyan athletes must undergo three drug tests to qualify for this summer’s World Championships in Tokyo, as the country fights to clean its image after multiple doping scandals.
Athletics Kenya (AK) president Jackson Tuwei announced Wednesday that 444 athletes have been identified for the testing program, which will be managed alongside Kenyan and World Athletics anti-doping agencies. These measures follow the strict protocols introduced before the Paris Olympics.
“Athletes may be subject to both in-competition and out-of-competition testing,” Tuwei said. “Missing a test or failing to comply with testing authorities and sample collection procedures will affect their eligibility,” he added.
Kenya has faced doping scrutiny since the 2016 Rio Olympics, leading to its non-compliance status by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Since 2017, nearly 130 Kenyan athletes—mostly long-distance runners—have been sanctioned for doping violations.
In March, former half-marathon world record holder Kibiwott Kandie was suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) over allegations of evading sample collection. Kenya remains on WADA’s watchlist, despite the government pledging $25 million over five years to combat doping.
While WADA director general Olivier Niggli expressed concerns about ongoing scandals, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe recently praised Kenya’s progress in tackling the issue during his visit to the country.
