World Anti-Doping Agency approves Kenya’s anti-doping law

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has approved Kenya's Anti-Doping law as amended and approved by Parliament.

Cabinet Secretary for Sports Dr Hassan Wario said it was a culmination of hard work by all stakeholders.

"It now gives us the breathing space to focus on Rio Olympics while at the same time strengthen the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya and initiate education programmes for athletes on doping," Dr Wario said.

"We are now going to adopt a multi-agency approach to tackling doping vice by bringing on board the Ministry of Interior, the Police Service, Customs and Pharmacy and Poisons Board," a happy Dr Wario told The Standard.

"We were always confident that we were doing the right thing and like any effort you are bound to slip here and there. However, the focus was to demonstrate that Kenya is committed to clean competition," he said.

Kenya's lead consultant Prof. Moni Wekesa, also expressed delight at the news saying it lays to rest any fears the country would be banned from participating in international competitions.

What remains is now for WADA to remove Kenya from the watch list of non-compliant countries, a move that would light up athletics scene in the country.

On May 12, the anti-doping watchdog ruled Kenya was not compliant after it raised a red-flag over a change of some clauses and wordings in the proposals passed by Parliament in April.

"It is over now. It is a huge relief for everyone involved in the drawing up of the Laws and the country at large," Prof Wekesa said.

Although IAAF and IOC, the bodies which organize international athletics competitions and the Olympics had, however, given Kenya the green light to participate at the Rio Olympics this August, it gave an end of the year deadline for the East Africa powerhouse to comply.

On June 7, Senators voted to approve the piece of legislation that seeks to deter and or crack down on drug cheats, their agents and businessmen benefiting from the vice.

All the 33 county senators who were in the House on June 7 voted in support of the Bill when it came for the Third Reading.

Among the key provisions of the bill will cause the Anti-doping Agency of Kenya to publicly expose cheating athletes, agents and suppliers of banned substances.

The version rejected by Wada had left out the part compelling the anti-doping agency to publish a report detailing its anti-doping activities in the country.

"The agency shall, within three months after the end of each financial year, cause to be made and submitted to the Cabinet Secretary a report dealing with the activities of the agency and such report shall be published publicly and a copy provided to the world anti-doping Agency," the provision reads.

The proposed law also expands the mandate of the anti-doping agency to include anti-doping education and to cover clubs, teams and leagues. The initial law only covered athletes, managers and coaches. The new provisions give it absolute autonomy to undertake all anti-doping activities, which means that it will enjoy recognition from all sports federations in the country.