Doping: Kenya will beat deadline, Wario says

Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts Dr Hassan Wario gestures during a press conference to respond on Kenya's developments and position on doping at his office in Nairobi on friday 19th, 2016. PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD.

Sports Cabinet Secretary has called on stakeholders to resist the temptation to work at cross purposes as the country bids to beat the deadline set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

Speaking during the third edition of the First Lady’s Half Marathon, Hassan Wario emphasised Kenya will beat the April 5 deadline to have the anti-doping law in place. 

“We are in contact with Wada who have to approve the Bill every time we make any amendment,” Wario said.

He denied claims that the world anti-doping watchdog had rejected the latest version of the bill - the seventh edition.

“I want to assure the country that we will beat the deadline,” said Wario.

“We have the policy ready and Wada have approved the seventh edition because we have to send it to Canada every time we make any changes.”

Last week, the National Assembly was abuzz with legislators questioning what progress the country had made in the quest to beat the deadline that threatens to have Kenya locked out of the Summer Olympics  to be held in Brazil.

David Were, the chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Labour and Social Welfare, however, dismissed Charangany MP Wesley Korir’s claims that Parliament had been sluggish in slotting his bill on the order paper despite having it published last year.

“I want to tell those trying to say they have their bill that theirs is not a bona fide bill,” Wario said.