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A new report has revealed that the majority of athletes in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda have faced sexual or gender-based violence (SGBV), exposing deep-rooted abuse within East Africa’s sporting world.
The study, led by Nairobi’s Aga Khan University, comes amid growing attention to cases of sexual violence in East Africa, particularly in Kenya where several high-profile female athletes have died violently in recent years.
Surveying 748 individuals, mostly aged between 18 and 34, and conducting in-depth interviews with 18 participants, the report found that almost 30 percent of those surveyed had competed at a professional or semi-professional level. Disturbingly, 62 percent reported either personally experiencing violence or knowing colleagues who had.
The report described SGBV in East African sports as deeply entrenched, fuelled by patriarchal attitudes, impunity for offenders, and a widespread culture of silence. In Kenya, 69 percent of respondents reported incidents of harm—including verbal, physical, and sexual abuse—a sharp rise from 43 percent recorded in 2022 government figures. Tanzania showed a similarly high rate at 62 percent, while Uganda reported 48 percent.
Researchers identified power imbalances, exploitative relationships with coaches and sponsors, and isolation from support systems as key factors enabling abuse. Coaches were named among the primary perpetrators.
The long-term impact of such violence has driven many athletes away from sport entirely after their careers end, often due to unresolved trauma and hostile environments. One interviewee told researchers that some leave because of the treatment they endure and later want no further involvement with sport.
Underreporting remains a major concern, with 35 percent of respondents saying they feared retaliation or damage to their careers if they spoke out. Victims often face stigma, disbelief, legal obstacles, and institutional failures, allowing perpetrators to act with impunity while survivors are marginalised.
“If there is any sport that has been affected by SGBV, it is athletics,” said Athletics Kenya president Jackson Tuwei.
In the past five years, Kenya has lost six elite athletes under tragic circumstances, including Ugandan-born marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who was set on fire by her Kenyan boyfriend in 2024. In 2021, star Kenyan athlete Agnes Tirop was found stabbed to death; her husband, who was charged in connection with her murder, has repeatedly failed to appear in court.
