The Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) has strongly denied allegations made by former World U20 5,000m champion Edward Zakayo, who blamed the agency’s handling of his doping case for forcing him into early retirement.
Zakayo, once one of Kenya’s most promising distance runners, shocked fans last week with an emotional Facebook post titled “Why I Left Athletics.” In it, he detailed financial struggles, alleged intimidation, and what he described as “unfair treatment” during his doping case hearings.
He claimed ADAK imposed a lawyer on him, held hearings via Zoom, and sent strangers to his Narok home to intimidate his family.
However, in a press release issued on October 6, 2025, ADAK dismissed the claims as “misleading and inaccurate,” saying they misrepresented the facts and procedures of his case.
The agency insisted all disciplinary matters are handled “in strict compliance with the Anti-Doping Act, the World Anti-Doping Code, and international standards.”
According to ADAK, Zakayo’s case was determined by the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) on May 8, 2025, which confirmed two missed tests (February 3 and April 3, 2024) and one filing failure in early 2024. The tribunal noted his explanation of losing his phone but ruled that it did not exempt him from his whereabouts obligations.
ADAK also clarified that athletes have the right to select their own legal representation and appeal decisions through the SDT or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.
While acknowledging the emotional toll of disciplinary processes, the agency emphasized that “emotional distress, while regrettable, cannot replace the requirement for adherence to anti-doping procedures.”
Zakayo, now working as a tour guide in the Maasai Mara, maintains he never doped and says he leaves athletics “with his integrity intact.”
