AGENTS PUT ON NOTICE: We will set national anti-doping agency and vet agents, says Dr Wario

Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and the Arts Dr Hassan Wario, left, present a copy of the Anti-Doping Taskforce Final Report Book to Chairman Kenya Olympic Committee, Kipchoge Keino during official launch of the report in Nairobi on Friday, October 17th. 2014. Photo/Jonah Onyango.

Athletes’ agents will soon be required to register with the Registrar of Sports in order to manage doping cases.

The Government will also set up Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) to deal with doping cases, Sports Cabinet Secretary, Hassan Wario, said when he made public the Anti-Doping Task Force Report at The Stanley Hotel, Nairobi, yesterday.

“This is the start of a strong offensive to the few people who may want to tarnish the name of the country and negate the long journey we have walked towards sporting excellence. We will set up an independent body with legal mandate and financially facilitated to tackle the doping menace,” said Dr Wario.

He added: “The body will be gazetted and officials made known soon. We will enact anti-doping legislation before January 1, 2016 and we will set aside Sh5 million for anti-doping activities and programmes. We will work with the Department of Immigration to ensure no rogue agents get their way into sports.”

He said they have worked on a draft on anti-doping legislation to be debated soon by stakeholders and presented to relevant Government institutions to be enacted into law.

“The Agency will recommend to the relevant Government institutions and professional organisations to take serious action that include cancellation of licence without offending individuals and institutions. We will liaise with the relevant organisations including WADA to see what further punitive action may be taken against offending individuals, athletes, officials and organisations,” he said.

Sports Principal Secretary Richard Ekai, Sports Secretary Japhter Rugut, National Olympic Committee of Kenya chairman Dr Kipchoge Keino, Football Kenya Federation chairman Sam Nyamweya and other federations’ chiefs were present.

Conspicuous by their absence were officials from Athletics Kenya (AK) despite the fact that 36 athletes have been banned for using prohibited substances in the past two years.

The Task Force, 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 sources of prohibited substances and even sent samples of suspicious food supplements and other substances to laboratories for analysis.

“Several findings emerged and the respondents who were active sportspersons from Kenyan universities and top leagues in various sports showed that these prohibited substances are found in shops and from Uganda and that many coaches are aware of this situation.

“Soccer, athletics and rugby were used as case studies. In all three sports, there are no anti-doping programmes. In soccer, the use of Cannabis sativa (bhang) is widespread and this is encouraged by coaches and certain other officials. In athletics, accidental use (due to ignorance) and involvement of foreign agents are blamed for the sophisticated drugs which Kenyan athletes tested positive. Even in the serious allegations against Kenyan athletes, Athletics Kenya has no elaborate programme on anti-doping. In rugby, there appears to be systematic doping of players through the use of food supplements laced with steroids,” read the report.