Athletics Kenya releases stringent measures to fight doping amidst spiraling cases

Amidst the worrying and spiraling cases of doping among athletes from the country, Athletics Kenya (AK), the governing body for the sport, has released upto six stringent measures that it aims to implement in the fight against the vice starting from October 1 this year.

In a statement issued Wednesday, AK expressed its ‘grave concern’ over the increasing number of cases that have come out of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) which have found a number of Kenyan athletes culpable of using banned performance enhancing substances.

"Athletics Kenya is gravely concerned over the spiraling cases of the use and the abetting in the use of banned performance-enhancing substances among Kenya’s elite athletes.

As a federation, we continue to take all possible measures to educate athletes, coaches, teachers and all personnel involved in the professional athletics ecosystem, and exhort them to act in compliance with the AIU, World Athletics and Kenya Anti-Doping Act (2016), and especially Article 41(B) that binds all athletes, support personnel, coaches, trainers, managers, team staff, official medical or paramedical personnel to the World Anti-Doping Code,” the statement read.

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This year alone, Philemon Kacheran Lokedi, Maiyo Johnstone Kibet, Morris Gachaga, Mathew Kisorio, Justus Kimutai and Michael Kunyunga Njenga among others are the latest names to have been found guilty for committing various doping offences.

And with Kenya currently in Category A, the governing body has vowed to start combating the reputation destroying vice that is threatening to tarnish Kenya's most successful sport. Category A country is so classified on the basis that its athletes are at the highest risk of committing a doping offence.

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In order to further enforce the law and remain within the confines of the Kenya Anti-Doping Act (2016), Athletics Kenya would like to announce the following immediate measures that will help us in the fight against doping in the country:

1. With effect from October, 1, 2022, Athletics Kenya will commence the registration of athletics training camps including details of all personnel in residence therein and their respective roles vis-a-vis the athletes.

2. Athletics Kenya will regulate, examine and certify all coaches working with Kenyan athletes within the country and without. Henceforth, it will be mandatory for all coaches handling Kenyan athletes in any jurisdiction to have requisite certification from Athletics Kenya.

3. ALL foreign coaches and foreign athlete support personnel working within Kenya, and without, with Kenyan athletes MUST seek licensing to carry out their professional duties from Athletics Kenya. The Federation (Athletics Kenya) will subsequently forward approved applications from such persons operating within Kenya to the Department of Immigration for provision of requisite work permits.

Any foreign coaches and foreign athlete support personnel without such clearance will not be allowed to operate within the country.

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4. ALL foreign nationals living within areas where Kenyan or other athletes have their training camps and/ or conduct their training programmes within the country must indicate their physical addresses and particulars of their local contact persons.

5. ALL foreign athletes training in Kenya must furnish Athletics Kenya with their physical contacts and the particulars of their Kenyan contact persons henceforth.

6. Athletics Kenya may randomly but also routinely require foreign coaches and athletes’ support personnel to offer history of their movement and contacts within and without the country in respect to handling Kenyan athletes.

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We reassure the public, athletes and supporters of the sport that we at Athletics Kenya shall not relent in the fight against the use of banned performance-enhancing substances.

AK has reinvigorated the intelligence and investigation unit with an aim of dismantling the cartels and taking the war on doping to a new level. We remain confident that with these and other additional, unobtrusive measures, the war against doping shall be won sooner rather than later. We also encourage members of the public with any information regarding suspicious activities of any individual with regard to the administration of and/ or use of banned performance-enhancing substances to report to any Athletics Kenya office, or to the nearest police station.