The Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) has provisionally suspended 27 Kenyan athletes for breaching anti-doping regulations, marking another significant development in the country’s ongoing efforts to address doping in sports.

The suspensions stem from various violations, including failures to comply with whereabouts requirements and the detection of prohibited substances.

Among the most notable names is the national 400 metres hurdles champion Wiseman Were. Were has been suspended due to whereabouts failures recorded since August 2025. Under anti-doping rules, athletes are required to provide accurate information about their location to facilitate out-of-competition testing. Failure to comply can result in suspension. As a result of the provisional ban, Were will be unable to compete until his case is reviewed and a final determination is made.

The timing of Were’s suspension is particularly significant, as his career had been gaining momentum. He made his Olympic debut at the Paris 2024 Games im France, reaching the semi-finals in the 400m hurdles. In addition, Were secured a bronze medal as part of Kenya’s 4x400m relay team at the same Olympics. In 2025, he continued his strong form by winning the 400m hurdles at the Kip Keino Classic, setting a new meeting record and personal best of 48.34 seconds, improving on his previous best of 48.57 seconds set in 2024.

Also suspended is Rita Jeptoo, a prominent marathon runner and one of Kenya’s most accomplished female athletes in the World Marathon Majors. The 45-year-old former Boston and Chicago Marathon champion has been sanctioned following the detection of prohibited anabolic androgenic steroids. Jeptoo made history with multiple major marathon victories, including Boston Marathon wins in 2006, 2013, and 2014. Her 2014 triumph was particularly notable, as she set a course record of 2:18:57. She also won the Chicago Marathon in 2013 and 2014. Her suspension adds to her history of previous doping-related sanctions. She was banned for using performance-enhancing drug, EPO.

In football, five players have been suspended for whereabouts failures. Kenya Police FC midfielder Charles Ouma was among those sanctioned on December 23, 2025. Others include Wilson Kamau Ndungu, formerly of Murang’a Seal, as well as John Collins Njuguna and Benson Ochieng Oluoch of Nairobi United. Additionally, Rooney Onyango, who currently plays for Norwegian club Sogndal, was cited for a whereabouts violation on February 12, 2026.

The sanctions extend beyond athletics and football. In basketball, Christine Akinyi and Natalie Mwangale Akinyi were both flagged for whereabouts failures on December 23, 2025. Volleyball player Loice Simiyu Masitsa was also suspended on the same grounds.

Further suspensions in athletics include Michael Musyoka, the 2024 national 110m hurdles champion representing the Kenya Defence Forces, and Bravin Kosgei Kiptoo. Kiptoo is the reigning 5,000m champion from the 2024 Africa Military Games and previously won the 10,000m title at the 2019 Africa Under-20 Championships. Both athletes were cited for whereabouts failures.

These suspensions underscore ADAK’s continued enforcement of anti-doping regulations across multiple sports disciplines in Kenya, affecting athletes at both national and international levels.