Kenya moves to criminalise doping in sport

KENYA’S parliament is to discuss draft legislation on Monday to make doping a criminal offence as the country seeks to avoid the threat of being barred from the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Sports Minister Hassan Wario said yesterday “we are working behind the scenes” to ensure the proposed legislation is approved and passed into law.

Kenya is also under investigation by the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA) for breaches of its anti-doping code.

WADA said earlier this month it was still waiting for the Kenyan government to properly fund the development of the national anti- doping agency and finalise new anti-doping legislation.

Kenya has been given until April 5 to put anti-doping legislation into place or face being declared non- compliant by WADA, which could lead to a ban on its athletes.

The new legislation follows the suspension of the chief executive of Athletics Kenya Isaac Mwangi by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Ethics Board earlier this week.

Mwangi was suspended from all offices and positions, in Kenya and the IAAF, with immediate effect for a period of 180 days to protect the sport and “in relation to potential subversion of the anti-doping control process in Kenya”, according to the board.

Mwangi is under investigation for alleged corruption after a complaint was made against him by some Kenyan athletes who claimed he asked for a bribe to reduce penalties for doping offenders.

In a scramble to avoid being declared non-compliant with world anti-doping rules, Kenya must introduce appropriate legislation and also provide proper funding for the new national anti-doping agency. The Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya received only $3 million of the $5m the government approved for its set-up costs, said its chief executive, Japhter Rugut.

The agency has faced a long delay in starting work after being established over a year ago. It was given approval by the government to operate only in December.

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The delays with the agency and passing doping laws meant Kenya missed a February 11 deadline from WADA, which has given it one more chance. WADA’s compliance committee will investigate and report back on April 5.

A verdict of non-compliance could lead to sanctions from the IAAF after its president, Sebastian Coe, previously said it would consider banning Kenya if the country was in breach of anti-doping rules.

“The threat is serious, yes, but action is being taken,” Rugut said.

Kenyan authorities have had nearly four years to act after serious problems of doping among its runners were uncovered in 2012.