The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has announced the provisional suspension of Kenyan athlete, Charles Kamau Karanja.

Karanja has been provisionally suspended by the AIU after his samples tested positive for the presence of the prohibited substance Testosterone.

Charles Kamau’s case

The AIU, an independent organization responsible for safeguarding the integrity of athletics, is currently managing the investigation into Kamau’s case.

“The AIU has provisionally suspended Charles Kamau Karanja (Kenya) for the presence/use of a Prohibited Substance (Testosterone),” AIU announced.

Provisional suspensions, as per the AIU, temporarily prohibit athletes or individuals from engaging in any athletics-related activities or competitions until a final decision is reached through a hearing conducted under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules or the Integrity Code of Conduct.

For doping cases, a Provisional Suspension is mandatory if an adverse analytical finding for any non-specified substance on the Prohibited List is detected. In other doping cases, a Provisional Suspension may be imposed based on the specific circumstances of the case.

What Charles Kamau suspension means

It’s important to note that a Provisional Suspension in non-doping cases does not imply guilt or override the presumption of innocence.

Instead, it is a precautionary measure implemented to protect the integrity of the sport while investigations are ongoing.

Karanja’s provision suspension comes a month after AIU announced that marathoner Titus Ekiru, known for his remarkable speed and talent in the marathon event, is facing a potential 10-year ban in a separate doping investigation.

Ekiru, currently ranked as the sixth-fastest marathon runner of all time, has been charged with two instances of positive doping tests and two additional charges of tampering.

The first incident that raised suspicion involved Ekiru’s positive test for the corticosteroid triamcinolone acetonide during the Milan Marathon in May 2021.

This substance is allowed in competition only with a valid medical exemption, which Ekiru claimed to have. At that time, the initial investigation seemed to support his explanation.

However, matters escalated when Ekiru tested positive for Pethidine after his victory in the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon in November 2021. Again, he asserted that the result was due to authorized medical treatment.

AIU/ADAK collabo

The AIU, collaborating closely with Kenyan authorities and the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK), initiated an extensive investigation into Ekiru’s case.

The probe uncovered a pattern of Triamcinolone Acetonide use among Kenyan athletes, prompting the AIU to reopen the investigation into his first doping violation.

Subsequently, in June 2022, Ekiru was provisionally suspended, and after comprehensive inquiries, the AIU rejected his explanations.

As a result, charges were filed in March 2023 for the Pethidine violation and in April 2023 for the Triamcinolone Acetonide violation.