By Mulembe Times Sports Desk
Kenya’s national indoor record holders Mercy Oketch and Brian Tinega are set to make their debut at the upcoming 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships, scheduled to take place from March 20–22 in Kujawy-Pomerania, Poland.
Oketch will lead Kenya’s challenge in the women’s 400 metres, while Rosemary Longisa will compete in the women’s 800 metres. Completing the women’s squad is experienced middle-distance runner Susan Lokayo Ejore, who will represent the country in the 1500 metres.
Oketch Headlines Kenya’s Sprint Team
A member of the Kenya Defence Forces, Oketch holds the Kenyan national record in the 400m with a time of 50.14 seconds, set on May 31, 2025 during the Kip Keino Classic.
Her rise in the sprint ranks continued earlier this year when she became the first Kenyan woman to run an indoor 400m under 52 seconds, clocking 51.53 seconds at the Meeting Metz Moselle Athlélor in France.
Oketch previously represented Kenya at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where she reached the women’s 400m semifinals.
Rising Stars in Middle Distance
Twenty-year-old Rosemary Longisa, currently a student at Washington State University, continues to impress in the middle-distance ranks.
She is currently the third-fastest Kenyan woman in history over the indoor mile, behind Susan Lokayo Ejore (4:20.61) and Dorcus Ewoi (4:22.39).
Ejore, one of the most experienced athletes in the squad, boasts a personal best of 3:56.07 in the 1500m, achieved when she finished sixth in the final at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
The Nakuru-born runner began her athletics journey at St. Gabriel’s Mission School before moving to the United States for college.
Tinega Leads Men’s 400m Charge
In the men’s team, Brian Tinega, 23, will represent Kenya in the 400 metres.
Also attached to the Kenya Defence Forces and currently studying at the University of Texas, Tinega holds a personal best of 45.06 seconds.
Last month, he rewrote the Kenyan indoor 400m record after running 45.68 seconds to finish second at the Big 12 Indoor Championships in Texas.
Tinega has already represented Kenya on the global stage, including appearances at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo and the 2025 World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China.
Strong Squad Named for Global Showdown
Also named in the team is promising 800m runner Noah Kibet, 21, who won bronze at the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships before claiming silver at the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade.
Another experienced athlete in the squad is Nicholas Kipkorir Krop, a silver medallist in the 5000m at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene.
Krop, who has a personal best of 12:45.71, will be aiming to translate his strong outdoor performances into success on the indoor stage.
Kenya Looking to Bounce Back
The global athletics body World Athletics allocated Kenya six slots for the championship.
The limited quota follows Kenya’s disappointing outing at the 2025 World Indoor Championships, where the nation failed to win a medal.
Despite that setback, Kenya remains a strong force in the competition. Historically, the country has collected 42 medals at the World Indoor Championships — 10 gold, 15 silver and 17 bronze.
Team Kenya will now be hoping to return to the podium when the three-day championship unfolds in Poland later this month.
