ADAK dismisses Edward Zakayo’s mistreatment claims, explains doping procedures

The Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) has dismissed claims made by former world under-20 champion Edward Zakayo Pingua, who announced his retirement from athletics through emotional social media posts accusing the agency of mistreatment and unfair handling of his case.

Zakayo, a former Commonwealth Games 5,000m bronze medallist, shared two detailed posts on Facebook titled “Why I Left Athletics” and “My Truth”, expressing frustration over how his case was allegedly handled.

He alleged that ADAK “kept calling him to Nairobi” for hearings that were “held virtually instead of in a proper courtroom,” and that “the lawyer was not of his choice.”

“On several occasions, I could not attend because of financial difficulties. These challenges pushed me into a corner, and I reached a point where I had to make a painful decision,” Zakayo wrote.

After struggling to make ends meet in Iten, Zakayo said he returned home to Narok, where a friend, Jonathan Sadera, offered him a lifeline as a tour guide at the Maasai Mara.

“This opportunity gave me a new start and even took me to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania,” he said. “Although I tried to rebuild my life, ADAK continued to send strangers to my home, intimidating my family as though I had committed a serious crime.”

Zakayo further claimed that his troubles began after losing his phone — which contained his ADAMS login — while flying from Spain in November 2023.

That phone, he said, was the only way to access his ADAMS account — the online system used by athletes to file their daily whereabouts for doping control.

“I never attempted to dope. I never avoided ADAK or IAU testing. My profile remains clean,” he insisted.

However, in a press release issued on October 6, 2025, ADAK Acting Chief Executive Officer Peninah Wahome dismissed Zakayo’s statements as “misleading and false.”

“The claims misrepresent the facts, the procedures followed, and the integrity with which all anti-doping cases are managed in Kenya,” Wahome said.

She explained that ADAK operates under the Anti-Doping Act (2016), ADAK Rules, and international standards established by the World Anti-Doping Code. Every athlete, she added, is informed of their right to legal representation and may choose a lawyer of their preference.

ADAK clarified that Zakayo’s case was heard and determined by the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) on May 8, 2025, where he was found guilty of two missed tests and one filing failure early in 2024. The tribunal acknowledged his explanation about the lost phone but ruled that maintaining accurate whereabouts remains the athlete’s responsibility.

“ADAK denies any form of intimidation or harassment. If anyone claims to act on ADAK’s behalf outside formal communication channels, we urge immediate reporting for investigation,” Wahome added.

She noted that ADAK understands the emotional strain that accompanies disciplinary proceedings but insisted that “emotional distress cannot replace adherence to rules.”