Agents put on notice: Government to crack the whip on people behind doping menace

Sports Cabinet Secretary Dr Hassan Wario during the launch of Sh14 million National Oil Corporation sponsorship for the national women’s volleyball team, yesterday. [PHOTO: DENNIS OKEYO]

The Government will deregister agents found abetting doping in the country.
Sports Cabinet Secretary, Dr Hassan Wario, said his ministry will work with the Ministry of Immigration to ensure all foreign agents operating in the country have proper documentation.
"There some people who come to Kenya as tourists then masquerade as agents, even without work permits. We are going to concentrate on the high attitude training areas, where I understand these people have pitched camp. We should get to know who are working with our athletes to enable us kick out all rogues," Wario said when he launched the National Oil sponsorship for the national women's volleyball team at The Stanley Hotel, Nairobi, yesterday.

Sports Principal Secretary, Richard Ekai, Sports Secretary Japhter Rugut and Wario recently attended the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) meeting in South Africa and Qatar, where they held talks with Wada President Sir Craig Reedie.
Wario said they presented to the Wada boss Kenya's position on the doping situation and stressed the Government will work together with world's anti-doping agency.
He said the Government would soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Qatari Ministry of Sports and Culture to manage issues on doping.
"The Qatari Government is going to work with us in fighting drug cheats. They have a state-of-the-art laboratory which we will use in the run-up to Rio 2016 Olympics pre-event blood and urine samples for tests at reduced costs," Wario said.
Wario's remarks comes against a backdrop of doping allegations on Kenyan athletes, especially after three-time Boston and two-time Chicago marathons winner Rita Jeptoo turned positive for A-sample test.
Jeptoo, who comes from Trans Nzoia County, tested positive for an illegal substance-EPO days after the Government received the Task Force on Anti-Doping Report led by Pro Moni Wekesa.
Wario decried that the vice may throw the country's multi-billion shilling industry to the dogs.
The Government, Wario said, has laid down strategies to clean up cheating in sports.
"The matter of drug use is serious. As a government, we are setting up an Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) which is going to work with all sports federations. The ADAK will also conduct sensitization on the dangers of drug use in sports.
"We will apply stringent measures to stop such cheats. We are known worldwide as winners and we must win clean," said Wario.
He added: "We have set aside budget for ADAK and its secretariat will be at NSSF Building".

The Task Force Report, chaired by Prof Moni Wekesa, interviewed 133 persons across the country and from various sports federations; managers of some top athletes; some owners of chemists and other shops suspected to be source of prohibited substances and even sent samples of suspicious food supplements and other substances to laboratories for analysis.