Kenyan Race Walker Hit by Doping Blow After Historic Commonwealth Games Achievement

Race walker Stephen Ndangiri has been provisionally suspended for a doping violation after securing a historic silver medal for Kenya at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

The 20-year-old's achievement is now under threat as he joins a growing list of Kenyan athletes sanctioned by anti-doping authorities.

The Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) announced the suspension after a sample collected from Ndangiri on June 30 tested positive for several banned substances, including Erythropoietin (EPO) and Peptide Hormones.

The out-of-competition test was conducted while Team Kenya was in a residential training camp at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, preparing for the Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

According to ADAK's official website, Ndangiri's provisional suspension began on August 5, 2026. The athlete has the right to challenge or appeal the finding.

The news casts a dark shadow over what was a triumphant moment for Kenyan athletics. On July 31, Ndangiri, a Lance Corporal in the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), claimed Kenya's first-ever Commonwealth Games silver medal in the men's 10,000m race walk.

He finished in a national record time of 38 minutes and 46.57 seconds, just behind Australia's Isaac Beacroft. His performance shattered the previous national record of 39:23.14, set by Samuel Gathimba at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

If the doping charge is upheld, Ndangiri will likely be stripped of his medal, his national record, and the Sh1.5 million prize money awarded to silver medallists by the Kenyan government.

Ndangiri's rise in 2026 had been remarkable. He won a silver medal in the 20km race walk at the African Athletics Championships in May and successfully defended his KDF Track and Field Championships title in June.

He then stunned his mentor, Gathimba, to win his first national title, ending Gathimba's eight-year unbeaten streak at the national championships and securing the sole race walk spot on the Commonwealth Games team.

If found guilty, Ndangiri faces a potential ban of up to four years, which could be reduced if he cooperates with ADAK and discloses the source of the substances.

Ndangiri's case is the latest in a series of high-profile doping scandals that have plagued Kenyan athletics. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and ADAK have imposed severe penalties on athletes, with bans often extending beyond the standard two to four years for those who challenge positive tests or provide falsified documents.