A Shocking Report Reveals Widespread Abuse in East African Sports
A recent study conducted by Nairobi’s Aga Khan University has shed light on the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) among athletes in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, exposing a concerning pattern of abuse within the region’s sporting community.
The research, which surveyed 748 individuals primarily aged between 18 and 34 and included in-depth interviews with 18 participants, unveiled alarming statistics. Nearly 30 percent of the respondents had experience competing at a professional or semi-professional level, with a staggering 62 percent reporting personal experiences of violence or knowledge of colleagues who had faced similar situations.
The report painted a grim picture of SGBV in East African sports, attributing its persistence to entrenched patriarchal attitudes, a lack of accountability for perpetrators, and a pervasive culture of silence. In Kenya, 69 percent of survey participants reported instances of harm, ranging from verbal, physical, to sexual abuse—an increase from the 43 percent documented in government data from 2022. Tanzania and Uganda also exhibited high rates of SGBV at 62 percent and 48 percent, respectively.
The study identified power imbalances, exploitative relationships with coaches and sponsors, and a lack of support systems as enabling factors for abuse, with coaches being identified as primary perpetrators.
Furthermore, the long-lasting effects of such violence have led many athletes to abandon sports altogether after their careers come to an end, often due to unresolved trauma and hostile environments. Some interviewees revealed that they leave the sporting world due to the mistreatment they endure and have no desire to remain involved in the industry.
Despite the prevalence of SGBV, underreporting remains a significant issue, with 35 percent of respondents expressing fear of retaliation or damage to their careers if they were to speak out. Victims frequently encounter stigma, disbelief, legal hurdles, and institutional failures, allowing perpetrators to act with impunity while survivors are left marginalized.
Addressing the issue, Athletics Kenya president Jackson Tuwei remarked, “If there is any sport that has been affected by SGBV, it is athletics.”
Notably, in the past five years, Kenya has mourned the loss of six elite athletes in tragic circumstances, including Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan-born marathon runner who was fatally set on fire by her Kenyan partner in 2024. In 2021, Kenyan athlete Agnes Tirop was found stabbed to death, with her husband—who was charged in connection with her murder—failing to appear in court on multiple occasions.
