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Kibiwott Kandie Handed Seven-Year Ban by Athletics Integrity Unit

AIU concluded forensic phone, M‑PESA and document checks showed refusal to test and tampering which led to a backdated seven-year ban.

Overview

  • The AIU announced on June 25 that Kandie will be banned until March 13, 2032 with the period backdated to his provisional suspension on March 14, 2025 following an out-of-competition test attempt.
  • Investigators say Kandie delayed and then left during a March 1, 2025 testing visit and later refused to provide a urine sample, an action treated as a serious anti-doping rule violation.
  • AIU analysis, supported by the Anti‑Doping Agency of Kenya, linked repeated calls during the missed test to a registered nurse and identified 11 M‑PESA transfers from Kandie totaling KSh18,200 across July 2024–March 2025.
  • A certificate Kandie submitted to justify his departure was declared not genuine by Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority, and Kandie admitted the offences which cut his original eight-year exposure to seven years.
  • The ruling removes a top-level half-marathon athlete from competition during his prime years and highlights how digital forensics, mobile-payment records and official document checks are being used to enforce anti-doping rules in Kenyan distance running.