Kenya's Sports Minister Hassan Wario has warned coaches and agents would be targeted as part of a doping crackdown ©Getty Images

Coaches and agents working with Kenya's top runners have been warned that they will face extra monitoring as part of an increased crackdown on doping in the country.

Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Arts and Culture Hassan Wario also warned that athletes caught taking banned drugs could face prosecution, as well as suspension from the sport.

Kenya has faced increasing pressure over the number of top athletes who have tested positive.

The most recent case emerged earlier this month when Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong failed an out-of-competition test for erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone which boosts red blood cells.

"Kenya can’t suffer anymore over doping menace," Wario said.

"Clean athletes would be protected while those entangled in doping would be exposed and humiliated.

"Cheats will be exposed irrespective of their world status, their agents and coaches will be brought to book."

Many top athletes employ foreign coaches and agent, who some believe are behind the problem.

Wario promised they would come under close scrutiny and also that more testing would be conducted at training camps in the country. 

"There has been a widespread condemnation of athletes whereas there are other players in the sporting industry who are the conduits of the banned substances to the sportsmen and women," said Wario.

"We will go for everyone."

Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong is the latest leading Kenyan runner to have tested positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs ©Getty Images
Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong is the latest leading Kenyan runner to have tested positive for banned performance-enhancing drugs ©Getty Images

Last year, Italian agent Federico Rosa appeared in a court in Nairobi after one of his clients, Rita Jeptoo, a three-time winner of the Boston Marathon, tested positive for EPO. 

The charges against Rosa were later withdrawn.

Rosa also represents Sumgong.

The drive to get on top of the problem is to be led by the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK).

ADAK was only formally launched last May following a threat from the World Anti-Doping Agency that the country faced being declared non-compliant.

They have now launched a new strategic plan up until 2020. 

The Government has given ADAK a total of Sh2 billion (£150,000/$193,000/€180,000) to help fight doping.

"ADAK is still young and only growing teeth and has a lot of ground to cover," said ADAK chief executive Kiplimo Rugut. 

"With the goodwill of our Government and partners we shall succeed."