A Kenyan athlete has been suspended for doping just five days after winning a silver medal at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, in a dramatic turn of events for one of the country's rising race-walking stars.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Stephen Ndangiri Kihu was provisionally suspended by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) this week over the alleged presence of a prohibited substance.

The suspension came days after the 20-year-old made history by winning silver in the men's 10,000m race walk at the Commonwealth Games on July 31.

ADAK's records list the charge as the presence of a prohibited substance under S2, which covers peptide hormones, growth factors, and related substances, including erythropoietin (EPO).

📌 What You Need to Know

“The presence of a prohibited substance under S2, covering peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances and mimetics/erythropoietin (EPO),” ADAK confirmed.

According to EssentiallySports, the charge against Kihu relates to an alleged EPO violation, with the athlete listed among those provisionally suspended by ADAK.

However, the sample linked to the case was collected on June 30, well before Kihu travelled to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games.

The sample was reportedly taken during an out-of-competition test at Team Kenya's residential training camp at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

Kihu had entered the Commonwealth Games after a strong turnaround in the 2026 season.

He finished 42nd at the World Race Walking Team Championships in Brasília in April before winning silver in the men's 20km race walk at the African Championships in Accra.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke