‘Not in our camps’: Iten male champions unite to end sexual abuse of female runners
Male champions Paul Masese, executive director at the Centre for Enhancing Democracy and Good Governance; Elgeyo Marakwet County Gender Officer Joseph Amuke; and Dr Byron Kipchumba, a coach.
What you need to know:
- Through new Standard Operating Procedures, training, and advocacy, they’re working to make Kenya’s training camps safer and more accountable.
- Led by men like Byron Kipchumba and Paul Masese, coaches and gender advocates are leading efforts to dissuade fellow men against perpetrating violence.
In Iten, the world-famous “Home of Champions,” a disturbing reality has begun to overshadow its athletics glory. Behind the medals and marathon titles lies a growing crisis—sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) targeting female athletes.
Now, a group of men—coaches, activists, and government officers—are taking a stand to end the abuse that threatens to ruin athletics’ reputation and destroy young women’s dreams.
Dr Byron Kipchumba, a coach at Kiprun 42 House Training Camp, is one of the leading male champions confronting the vice. He admits that Iten has become notorious for SGBV cases within athletics and says his camp has introduced strict guidelines to protect everyone.
Dr Byron Kipchumba, a coach at Kiprun 42 House Training Camp in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
“These internal rules must be followed by all—athletes, coaches, managers, and staff. No one is allowed to cross those boundaries,” he says. “SGBV is real. It has happened elsewhere, and it can happen here if we are not careful.”
Dr Kipchumba notes that money and power dynamics often fuel the problem, with some coaches exploiting vulnerable and inexperienced female runners. “Lack of financial literacy and education is a key driver of SGBV against athletes in Iten. Cultural differences, especially among foreign runners, also play a role,” he adds.
At Kiprun 42 House, he says, the management closely monitors athletes’ safety and provides regular counselling sessions for both athletes and staff to ensure their wellbeing.
Another prominent male champion is Paul Masese, the executive director at the Centre for Enhancing Democracy and Good Governance. Working with the United Nations Population Fund, he has been spearheading the development of Standard Operating Procedures (Sops) to detect, prevent, and respond to gender-based violence, sexual exploitation, and abuse in training camps.
Centre for Enhancing Democracy and Good Governance CEO Paul Masese during an interview in Iten town, Elgeyo Marakwet County, on October 8, 2025.
Sops—currently being piloted in three camps in Iten—are grounded in best practices and reflect a strict zero-tolerance policy towards sexual abuse and exploitation. “These guidelines create formal reporting mechanisms, accountability frameworks, and preventive protocols,” Mr Masese explains.
He adds that Sops set out clear safeguarding policies, codes of conduct for participants in the athletics ecosystem, safe recruitment procedures, and relevant training for staff and volunteers in sports camps and clubs.
“Sops provide a comprehensive framework to prevent and respond to gender-based violence, including technology-facilitated GBV, cyberbullying, and non-consensual sharing of private images,” he says.
Drawing on national and global regulatory frameworks, Sops aim to address both traditional and emerging threats to female athletes’ safety. Mr Masese and other male champions have been conducting awareness campaigns inside and outside training camps to promote adoption of the guidelines.
“Sops outline clear reporting and investigation procedures and provide survivor-centred support. They’re vital in ensuring the safety and security of athletes,” he says, adding that he hopes all training camps in Iten will adopt Sops to strengthen accountability and ensure perpetrators face justice.
Joseph Amuke, the county gender officer in Elgeyo Marakwet, is another man championing the fight against SGBV. He has been working with stakeholders to promote awareness of the new Sops, which he believes are key to preventing and responding to cases of abuse.
Elgeyo-Marakwet County Gender Director Joseph Amuke during an interview at a restaurant in Iten on October 8, 2025.
“All training camps must adhere to these guidelines. They clearly stipulate where and how to report sexual violence and where survivors can seek help. This will ensure our young athletes are protected and not exploited,” he says.
However, Mr Amuke cites the lack of rescue centres in the county as a major setback in the fight against SGBV. To change this, he is advocating a male engagement campaign that challenges men to become part of the solution. “Men are the main perpetrators. We must reach them, change their mindset, and convert them into allies against GBV,” he says.
These male champions have intensified awareness campaigns as cases of abuse in athletics camps continue to rise. A 2020 survey by the Ministerial Committee on Gender Welfare and Equity in Sports revealed that 57 per cent of female athletes had suffered some form of abuse in training camps.
In Iten, many female athletes admit being victims of sexual violence but remain silent due to fear, stigma, and trauma. Several have even lost their lives in recent years, allegedly at the hands of men close to them—a pattern that has sparked outrage and calls for reform.
Globally, Unesco estimates that 21 per cent of female athletes experience sexual abuse, yet only seven per cent report it. The silence, experts say, stems from fear of reprisal, stigmatisation, and exclusion from training opportunities.
Despite progress through new safeguarding policies, significant legislative and enforcement gaps persist—both globally and locally. Many say the success of female athletes often makes them targets in a patriarchal society still struggling to embrace gender equality.
According to the Gender Violence Recovery Centre, one in three Kenyan women experiences physical or sexual abuse by the age of 18, often at the hands of men they know. As these male champions in Iten continue to challenge entrenched norms, their message is clear: the race for medals must never come at the expense of women’s safety and dignity.
