Renju, a Kenyan runner, was given a five-years ban as doping penalty.

Renju’s ban is backdated to May 13 and all his results since March 20 have been annulled.

Keneth Kiprop Renju, the champion of the Prague half-marathon in April, was the most recent Kenyan athlete to be suspended for alleged doping when he was given a five-year suspension on Friday.

The Athletics Integrity Unit announced the 26-year-suspension old’s on Twitter due to the “presence/use of a prohibited substance (methasterone)”.

Renju is one of a total of 54 Kenyan athletes that have been suspended for doping. According to the Athletic Integrity Unit, the nation of East Africa ranks third in the world for the number of doping-related athlete sanctions. Here is a full breakdown, with Russia topping the list with 87 athletes and India coming in second with 62 suspensions.

All of Renju’s results from March 20 have been thrown out, and his suspension is retroactive to May 13. On May 8, he also triumphed in the Lisbon half-marathon.

Following the extremely high number of long distance runners’ suspensions this year, Kenya’s athletics reputation is once again suffering.

Top athletes who have been suspended include Mark Kangogo, a mountain racer, and Diana Kipyokei, the 2021 Boston Marathon champion. This year alone, punishments have been imposed on more than 20 Kenyan sportsmen.

The athletic superpower has been at the top of the World Anti-Doping Association’s (WADA) compliance watch list since February 2016. The issue is not brand-new.