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Banned Kenyan Runners Say They Were Asked for Bribes

EMBU, Kenya — Two Kenyan track athletes serving four-year bans for doping at the 2015 world championships say the chief executive of Athletics Kenya, the country’s governing body for track and field, asked them each for a $24,000 bribe to reduce their suspensions.

The runners, Joy Sakari and Francisca Koki Manunga, told The Associated Press that CEO Isaac Mwangi asked for the payment in an Oct. 16 meeting, but that they could not raise the money. They were then were informed of their four-year bans in a Nov. 27 email, but never filed a criminal complaint because, they say, they had no proof to back up their bribery accusation and also feared repercussions.