Kenyan race walker Stephen Ndangiri suspended for doping
Kenya's Stephen Ndangiri celebrates after winning silver in the men's 10km race walk at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on July 31, 2026.
What you need to know:
- Ndangiri handed Kenya her first ever silver medal in men’s 10,000m race walk at the Commonwealth Games in a national record.
- He joins a long list of Kenyan athletes who have been suspended or banned by ADAK or Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
The Anti-doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) has suspended race walker, Stephen Ndangiri, for using banned performance-enhancing substances just a week after the 20-year-old claimed a historic silver medal in men’s 10,000 metres race walk at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
ADAK has flagged down Ndangiri, a Lance Corporal at the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), for using the banned Erythropoietin (EPO), Peptide Hormones, among other banned substances.
A sample collected from the 20-year-old in an out-of-competition test on June 30, 2026 when Team Kenya was in camp at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, has tested positive for the banned substances.
The sample was collected when the athlete was in residential training camp with his team mates ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games which took place in Glasgow, Scotland.
On Friday, August 7, 2026, ADAK indicated on its website that Ndangiri had failed a dope test, and his provisional suspension will run from August 5, 2026. The athlete has the liberty to challenge or appeal the suspension.
On July 31, 2026, Ndangiri, the Africa 20km silver medallist, handed Kenya her first ever silver medal in men’s 10,000m race walk at the Commonwealth Games in a national record. He clocked 38 minutes and 46.57 seconds to settle for silver behind 19-year-old Isaac Beacroft from Australia who won in 38:45.51.
Ndangiri broke the national record of 39:23.14 set by Samuel Gathimba at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where he finished fifth.
Ndangiri’s medal would have been Kenya’s second ever in race walk at the Commonwealth Games. Gathimba claimed bronze in 20km race walk at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.
If found guilty, Ndangiri could be banned for up to four years. The ban could be reduced by one year should he cooperate with ADAK on, among other things, disclosing the source of the banned substances.
Commonwealth Games silver
Ndangiri’s star has shone bright this year. He claimed silver medal in men’s 20km race walk at the 2026 African Athletics Championships held in Accra, Ghana on May 16, and retained his Kenya Defence Forces Track and Field Championships title at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Langata, Nairobi, on June 11.
After finishing second behind Gathimba, who sealed his sixth national race walk title last year, Ndangiri turned tables on his mentor Gathimba, beating him to win his maiden national title on June 19. He won in 39:14.0.
Not only did Ndangiri stun Gathimba, who had not previously lost a race at the national championships for eight years, by relegating him to second place, but he also claimed the only slot for a race walker in Team Kenya ahead of the Commonwealth Games. The 2021 world under-20 champion, Heristone Wanyonyi came third at the nationals.
Ndangiri is now likely to lose all the accolades. Gathimba could be awarded the national title and the national record. He will also miss out on the government’s big pay day for medallists from the Commonwealth Games. Gold medallist will receive Sh2.5 million, silver medallists Sh1.5million, and bronze medallists Sh1 million.
Ndangiri’s case is the only one reported in the month of August, and he joins a long list of Kenyan athletes who have been suspended or banned by ADAK or Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for violating anti-doping rules.
Former half marathon world record and Kenya Defence Forces multi-track and cross country champion, Kibiwott Kandie was banned for seven years by AIU in June 2026 for refusal to submit to sample collection, and tampering.
AIU has been ruthless with Kenyan athletes flagged down for doping but opted to either challenge the positive tests, or provide falsified documents. The heavy sanctions include lengthy bans lasting between five to 10 years which is outside the official sanction period of between two and four years.
The 2019 Africa Games Half Marathon champion Titus Ekiru who was banned in 2023 for 10 years is perhaps the Kenyan athlete serving the longest ban after the 2016 Olympics Marathon champion Jemimah Sumgong, who is serving an eight year- ban from 2019.
Sarah Chepchirchir who was banned for four years from 2019 to 2023, was again handed an eight-year ban in 2023 for using banned Testosterone alongside James Mwangi Wangari and Michael Njenga Kunyuga. Wangari and Kunyuga each got eight-year bans in 2022.
Also banned in 2019 for eight years was distance runner Salome Jerono Biwott and middle distance runner Eglay Nalianya in 2023.
The 2019 Chicago and Boston Marathon champion Lawrence Cherono, 2024 Seville Marathon champion Josephine Chepkoech and Salina Jebet are serving seven-year suspension each. The 2019 world 10,000m bronze medallist Rhonex Kipruto, 2025 Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon winner Ronald Kimeli Kurgat, distance runner Emmaculate Anyango, former national cross country champion Rodgers Kwemoi and Purity Temutai Komen have been hand six-year ban each.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) partially upheld Rhonex Kipruto’s appeal, reducing his doping ban from six years to five. While the court recognised that he committed an anti-doping violation related to blood manipulation, the reduction means his suspension will now run until May 2028 rather than 2029.
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