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Kenyan athletes’ mental health problems and lack of support have been thrust into the spotlight of East Africa’s running powerhouse following a spate of deaths in recent weeks.
The country is home to some of the world’s best distance runners, but the sporting community struggles with deadly domestic violence and entrenched doping.
Internationally, sporting bodies have come to recognize the enormous impact of mental health after gymnast Simone Biles and tennis player Naomi Osaka publicly discussed their own struggles.
Although revered around the world, Kenyan athletes face intense pressure to succeed and financially support their immediate and extended families, which further adds to their mental strain.
Since 2017, more than 80 Kenyan athletes have been sanctioned for doping, according to the World Athletics Integrity Unit, leaving them dealing with the financial, physical and mental consequences of years-long bans.
On October 6, Kipyegon Bett, the 2017 world bronze medalist in the 800 meters, died in hospital in his hometown of Kericho, western Kenya, following kidney and liver failure caused by alcohol.
He was only 26 years old.
Bett, one of Kenya’s most promising middle-distance runners, was handed a four-year ban in 2018 after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.
“He fell into depression and started drinking heavily,” his grieving sister Purity Kirui told AFP after his death.
Kirui said Bett had ignored family pleas to return to training after his ban ended in 2022 and had failed to make a significant return to competitive sport.
On the same day that Bett’s death was announced, the body of steeplechaser Clement Kemboi was found some 250 kilometers (155 miles) away in Iten, the famous high-altitude training center of the western Kenya.
“We cannot ignore that there is a problem,” Barnaba Korir, executive member of Athletics Kenya (AK), told AFP.
“Recent deaths show that athletes face major challenges, including financial and mental health issues.”
– “Alarming” problem –
In the wake of the deaths, Julius Yego, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist in the javelin, called for measures to better protect Kenyan athletes.
“The issue of the mental health of athletes suspended for doping is alarming,” Yego told AFP.
“These athletes feel isolated and have had to deal with their problems literally alone, without any support from Athletics Kenya or their former managers and coaches.”
Many denied ever using drugs, he said, adding that he was in contact with a troubled former long-distance runner who is currently serving a four-year ban.
The deaths of Bett and Kemboi came as Kenya’s close-knit sporting community was already reeling after the loss of three other athletes.
Also in October, 53-year-old famous marathon runner Samson Kandie was killed in a brutal attack and in September another marathon runner, Willy Kipruto Chelewa, was found dead.
The circumstances of their deaths are still under investigation. Four people, including Kandie’s wife, appeared in court this week.
But in a country where a third of the 52 million people live in poverty, athletes’ incomes also make them targets of attack, retired Olympic 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop told AFP.
“Tragically, this is becoming endemic. This calls on athletes to be more vigilant,” he said, citing the case of Kandie, who was killed after men attacked him outside his house in Eldoret.
Kiprop, who now works as a police officer, said being a member of law enforcement is often the only way athletes can stay safe.
“Otherwise, good personal discipline is essential.”
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