According to the Athletics Integrity Unit, a medically-savvy operation is assisting Kenyan athletes in covering up drug offences after an inquiry found identical fabricated papers in two recent instances.

An athlete, Betty Wilson Lempus, was handed a five-year doping suspension in January, and Eglay Nalyanya was banned for eight years on Tuesday.

PHOTO | COURTESY  Betty Wilson Lempus

"Nalyanya and Lempus told the AIU they received intramuscular injections while being treated at the same Kenyan hospital and produced falsified medical documents to support their respective claims," the AIU statement reads.

"In both instances, AIU investigations – in collaboration with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) – discovered the documents were false; that the doctors listed were fictitious; and that neither athlete had received the respective injection..."The falsified documents in the two cases showed distinctive likenesses." the statement further notes.

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The Athletics Integrity Unit believes that Kenyan athletes are being assisted in doping by medical professionals who are very good at preventing doping from being discovered.

"It is clear doping in Kenya is increasingly well organised and these cases underline the reality that medically-experienced personnel are involved," said AIU chairman David Howman.

"This is a serious threat to our sport," he added.

PHOTO | COURTESY David Howman

Kenya has been in the spotlight recently for doping cases, and over 20 athletes have been suspended from the tracks while some have had their titles revoked.

Lawrence Cherono, the 2019 Boston and Chicago Marathon winner, was temporarily barred on July 16, the day before the World Championship marathon in Eugene, for testing positive for the forbidden heart drug trimetazidine.

Former national 100m record holder Mark Otieno is one of three Kenyan sportsmen sentenced to eight years for using performance-enhancing drugs.

Alice Jepkemboi Kimutai, who won the Porto Marathon this year, and Kigali International Peace Marathon silver medalist Johnstone Kibet Maiyo have been suspended for three years. Finally, Kimutai, 30, who will begin serving her term on November 16, tested positive for Testosterone, and her September 20 findings were disqualified.