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Kenya once again risks international athletics ban over doping
The World Anti-Doping Agency has threatened sanctions against Kenya due to reduced funding for the country's anti-doping agency.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has declared Kenya non-compliant for flouting its code and given the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) 21 days to correct its non-conformities in full or risk suspension from October 3, this year.
A source conversant with Adak operations disclosed that inadequate funding from the government, which has affected the national anti-doping body’s operations since last year, is one of the reasons why Wada threatened sanctions.
“Inconsistency in funding is what is hurting Adak activities. Wada will definitely not be happy when we test athletes consistently for six months then fail in the next three months because of funds. Kenya is in Category A of countries where doping is prevalent hence testing should be continuous,” said the source.
A statement issued after a Wada Executive Committee meeting in Prague, Czechia on Thursday, said that if the suspension is effected and the country still does not comply within six to twelve months, there could be further consequences including an international ban.
Wada said Kenya will not be awarded the right to host any future editions of regional, continental or world championships, as well as other international events, until Adak is reinstated.
This means that Kenya’s bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships and the annual World Athletics Continental Gold Tour events – the Kip Keino Classic and Sirikwa Classic Cross Country Championships – will be in jeopardy.
Kenya faced a potential ban from the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2017 London World Athletics Championships over the use of prohibited substances by its athletes before President Uhuru Kenyatta signed the 2016 Anti-Doping Bill into law.
World Athletics threatened to ban Kenya over increased cases of doping in the country in 2023 before President William Ruto committed Sh3.7 billion to help fight doping over the next five years.
An international ban would mean that the participation of the country’s sportsmen and women at major world events will be on neutral nationality.
On Thursday, Wada indicated that it will end any funding to Adak. The Kenyan body could also lose its Wada privileges that include holding any office in the world body set-up.
“Adak will be ineligible to host any event hosted or co-organised by Wada and Adak will not participate in any Wada Independent Observer Programme, Wada Outreach Programme or other Wada activities,” said the Wada statement.
At a press conference on September 17 last year, then Adak chairman Daniel Makdwallo said that their operations had ground to a halt due to lack of adequate funding from the government.
He expressed concern that they had not conducted the required testing.
Adak’s funding was reduced from Sh298 million to Sh20 million in the last financial year.
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi had in June proposed an allocation of Sh16.69 billion to the Department for Sports in the 2025/26 financial year budget estimates where Adak was allocated Sh241 million.
