KISUMU, Kenya Apr 7 – Teachers who facilitate age cheating or doping in school sports competitions risk disciplinary action, including possible dismissal, as the government intensifies efforts to clean up secondary school athletics.Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said the Ministry of Education will recommend strict sanctions to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) against educators found to be involved in or enabling malpractice in school games.He spoke at Mamboleo Stadium in Kisumu County during the official opening of the 2026 Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) Term One National Championships.“We will not tolerate any form of cheating in our school games. Any teacher found facilitating age cheating or doping will face disciplinary action. These practices undermine fairness and deny genuine talent the opportunity to thrive,” Bitok said.The government has raised concerns over recurring cases of over-age participation in secondary school sports, where the official age limit for senior school athletes is capped at 19 years. Authorities say some schools have been fielding over-age players in pursuit of competitive advantage and national titles.Cases of suspected doping have also been reported in high-stakes matches involving traditional rival schools, prompting heightened scrutiny from education and sports officials.The PS said investigations indicate that some of the malpractice is carried out with the knowledge or involvement of teachers, students, and members of the surrounding communities.“We know this is happening with the knowledge of some teachers and we will not allow it to continue,” he added.This year’s championships are particularly significant as they feature Grade 10 learners under the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system, who are pursuing Arts and Sports pathways.Bitok said the reforms aim to promote discipline, teamwork, and talent development by allowing learners to apply classroom knowledge in competitive sporting environments.On school funding, the PS said the government will release capitation for Term Two after completing a nationwide audit of learner registration in public schools.He noted that future funding will be strictly based on verified enrollment, with audits to be conducted every term to ensure transparency and fairness in resource allocation.The Ministry also confirmed that 99 percent of Grade 10 textbooks have already been distributed under a one-learner-one-textbook policy.In addition, Bitok said over 23,000 classrooms have been constructed in the last three years, expanding learner capacity by approximately 1.1 million spaces through partnerships between the national government, NG-CDF, county governments, and parents.On infrastructure development, he revealed that the government is currently constructing 21 stadiums across the country to support co-curricular activities under the CBE framework.The week-long national championship has attracted more than 6,000 learners from senior schools, junior schools, primary schools, and special needs institutions.Competitions are being held at Mamboleo Stadium, Kisumu Boys High School, Maseno School, and Kisumu Girls School.