The Kenyan athletics scene could be set for a major shake-up after World Athletics approved the introduction of a cheek swab test to determine if an athlete is biologically female.
This latest move has been tipped to have significant implications for Kenyan athletes, particularly those competing on the global stage.
According to Sebastian Coe, President of the International Track and Field Federation, the decision marks a crucial step in protecting the integrity of female competition amid recent controversies surrounding the nature of some competitors in major athletic competitions.
While speaking after the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, Coe noted that the decision was made after extensive consultations, with an overwhelming consensus backing the decision to involve swab tests.
Despite World Athletics insisting that swab tests are not intrusive, their potential impact on athletes, particularly those from Kenya, cannot be overlooked, particularly because Kenya remains one of the best sporting nations in the world as far as track events are concerned.
Over the years, Kenyan female athletes, particularly those in middle- and long-distance events, have faced scrutiny over eligibility rules. As recently as October 2024, marathon record breaker Ruth Chepng’etich was questioned by journalist Robert Johnson from Lets Run after her heroics in the Chicago marathon, with suggestions from abroad that she was 'enhanced'. Athletics Kenya has since denied these claims.
In 2019, Evangeline Makena, a promising sprinter who represented Kenya at the 2017 IAAF World Relays in Bahamans, was dropped from Kenya's team after blood tests revealed elevated testosterone levels.
Unfortunately, her gender also came into question after she was dropped from the team to represent Kenya at the IAAF World Relays Championship in Japan.
Caster Semenya of South Africa is another high-profile African case, as the two-time Olympic 800m champion's career was significantly affected by World Athletics' DSD (differences of sex development) regulations.
For Kenyan runners, this new test could lead to further challenges, particularly for athletes with naturally high testosterone levels - a dynamic which could render them ineligible to compete.
One of the biggest concerns is that some naturally gifted athletes could be disqualified or required to undergo medical interventions. Such a case was witnessed in 2019 when Kenyan 800m champion Jackline Wambui, who was 19 at the time, withdrew from the World Athletics championships after refusing to take a testosterone test.
At the time, her withdrawal drew heated debate since she was among the most promising athletes ahead of the championships after clocking the 10th fastest time in the World in 2009 at 1:58.79.
