Two Kenyan athletes sanctioned by AIU over doping

National champion and African Championships 10,000m bronze medallist, Roncer Kipkorir Konga has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for testosterone, a substance prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Kipkorir, 30, ranked 20th globally in men's road running, now faces a lengthy ban if confirmed guilty.

On April 20 this year, Kipkorir led his compatriots Edmond Kipngetich and Isaac Kipkemboi to a clean podium sweep in the 2025 Shanghai Half Marathon.

He produced a brilliant kick in the final stages of the race to retain the title in an impressive time of 1:01.07.

These substances are commonly found in weight-loss and performance-enhancing supplements but are listed under WADA’s prohibited list due to their stimulant properties.

Michira, who clocked a personal best of 1:08:13 at the Milano Half Marathon in 2024, has yet to represent Kenya in a major championship.

However, her talent and potential were evident as she steadily climbed the rankings, holding the 81st spot in the women's global half-marathon standings.

Higenamine is typically marketed as a fat-burner and cardiovascular stimulant, while octodrine, also known as dimethylhexylamine (DMHA), was initially developed as a nasal decongestant but has gained popularity as a stimulant in dietary supplements.

The rulings come just days after women's marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich, 30, was suspended after testing positive for the banned diuretic hydrochlorothiazide on March 14, according to the AIU.

It threatens to destroy a career that has seen her win the 2019 world marathon title in Doha and set the marathon world record in Chicago last October at 2hr 09min 56sec, making her the first woman to run the distance under 2hr 10min.

Kenya worked to clean up its image after a string of doping scandals around the 2016 Rio Olympics led to it being declared non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Nearly 130 Kenyan athletes, mainly long-distance runners, have been sanctioned for drugs offences since 2017, and Kenya has put in place a Ksh 5 billion, five-year programme to attempt to combat the problem.