For a man described as an average athlete, the source of his money was hardly surprising. 

 Elias Kiptum, a jovial man, is a mobiliser, an organiser-in-chief, well known in the world of athletics.

Photos of Kiptum with former and current world  champions in and outside Kenya on social media give a glimpse of the kind of connection he enjoyed.

 Whenever there were big marathons outside the country, he could organise viewer points mostly in North Rift where fans flocked to watch the action on big screens.

 He was close to the Who’s Who. A number of journalists and governors and MPs from North Rift are said to be his friends.

 A journalist, who frequented his residence in Iten, in Elgeyo Marakwet, described his manner of dressing, mostly jackets and fancy shoes and T-shirts, as one to envy.

So when Kiptum was on Monday arrested for forgery where he is believed to be part of an international conspiracy ring out to tarnish Kenya’s image in the athletics world, many including  athletics administrators and top athletes were astounded.

“I am extremely shocked by the revelations. Kiptum was a man of the people, so I thought. I am in one of the groups where he was the administrator. Top athletics officials are some of the members,” a current world record holder told to People Sport on condition of anonymity.

Widespread doping

 Another athlete, who refused to be named, said he was once approached to appear in an international television interview to support claims of widespread doping in the country.

 “Of course the catch was money which was really tempting. I was promised good rewards if I affirmed there was widespread doping in Kenya. While I never did the interview, I know fellow athletes who did,” said the athlete.

 Former Olympic and triple world 1,500m champion Asbel  Kiprop who has maintained his innocence despite being banned for blood boosting drug EPO in 2019 alleged he and other athletes might have been victims of Kiptum and his accomplices.

 “I don’t want to divulge further for two reasons. One is an ongoing court case and two is the fact that I am a police officer therefore I want my superiors to comment first.

 “But I am honestly happy for once people will start seeing sense in my cries. Kiptum is a commoner whom nobody could suspect, but there is a cartel that goes all the way up to certain individuals in the World Anti-Doping Agency labs mostly in Stockholm, Sweden,” Kiprop intimated to People Sport.

 He continued: “I know of athletes who have been asked for huge sums of money even before tests are done, sometimes it is outright suspicious. There are corrupt officers who use guys to tarnish athletes’ names.”

 Kiptum was on Monday arraigned before the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Court.

He is accused of spreading false doping allegations against Kenyan athletes, but he denied all 12 charges leveled against him. He was remanded in custody pending bail ruling.

 A statement on Directorate of Criminal Investigations indicated that Kiptum’s arrest and subsequent arraignment followed investigations by the DCI’s Anti-Narcotics Unit detectives.

 The statement explained that the detectives have since September 2020 been pursuing a criminal syndicate which has been working with foreign journalists to fabricate information on doping in Kenya.

 “The perpetrators had prepared documents purporting that doping was being promoted and encouraged by several state agencies in the country, with the aim of having Kenya suspended from participating in the forthcoming Olympics in Japan,” said the statement.

 Forged documents purportedly signed by officials from the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) and Athletics Kenya (AK) were shared with the Europe-based journalists, who have been part of the ring, the statement explained.

 In an operation by DCI sleuths on April 18, a raid conducted at Kiptum’s residence in Iten saw the confiscation of several documents bearing ADAK and AK letterheads, alongside suspicious bank slips. 

 “Contract agreement documents between local suspects and the foreign journalists, three laptops, mobile phones among other electronic gadgets were also confiscated from the suspect’s house and are undergoing forensic analysis at DCI Headquarters,” said the statement. 

Strongly worded

 On Monday, Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed denied claims of doping cover-up by the Kenyan authorities.

 In a strongly-worded statement, Mohamed noted that cliques of unscrupulous characters are hell bent on tarnishing Kenya’s image whenever a major international sporting event approaches.

 “We wish to state that the ministry has noted with great concern that whenever Kenya us about to participate in major international sporting events, unscrupulous  characters embark on a mission to disparage Kenya’s decades of well deserved sporting repertoire and our leadership in the global anti-doping  efforts,” read part  of the statement.