Nairobi, October 2

Athletics Kenya today banned two athletes including women's 800m runner Agatha Jeruto, after they were sanctioned by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for doping.

The IAAF said Jeruto, 21 and marathon runner, Josephine Jepkorir, 26, had tested positive for the anabolic steroid, Nandrosterone. Jeruto, a former African bronze medallist, tested positive for the banned drug in an out-of-competition test in Kenya in April, and has been banned for four years. Jepkorir tested positive during a 10km race in Luanda, Angola last December and has been handed a two-year ban.

Athletics Kenya (AK) said the result of the Luanda race, which Jepkorir won, and in the Ras Al Khaimah International half marathon in the UAE, where she was placed fourth behind compatriot Mary Kaitany early this year, had been cancelled. "The athlete will therefore forfeit all titles, awards, medals, points, prize and appearance money from these races," AK said.

The news comes when two other women athletes, Koki Manunga and Joyce Zakary, are awaiting suspensions from the IAAF after they failed drug tests during the world championships in Beijing in August. The suspensions led to Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto announcing that the government had set into motion plans to criminalise doping, in a bid to curb the rising cases of athletes using performance-enhancing drugs. There are 38 doping cases involving Kenyan athletes since 2012.