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 Isaac Mwangi, chief executive of Athletics Kenya (AK), said a new
national anti-doping agency was carrying out more drugs testing and
said Kenya would soon pass its first anti-doping laws.
"Kenya is doing the best it can," Mwangi told Reuters. "For us,
athletics is a national matter, it brings a lot of national pride."
On Thursday the BBC reported that Kenya had missed a deadline this
week to prove to WADA that it was doing enough to combat doping and
could be declared a non-compliant nation.
That could see Kenyan medal prospects banned from the August games
and hurt the East African nation's running heartlands, which depend
on the financial rewards earned by elite runners.
Dozens of Kenyans have failed drugs tests in the past five years and
several top officials have been accused of corruption, including
Mwangi.
Earlier this week two Kenyan athletes who failed drugs tests in
August at the Beijing world championships, where Kenya topped the
medals table, accused Mwangi of seeking bribes to reduce their bans.
Mwangi and AK have rejected the allegations as malicious.
Global athletics has been in crisis since media reports in August
alleged that endurance runners suspected of doping, including some
Kenyans, had been winning a third of Olympic and world championship
medals.
In addition, France is investigating former world athletics chief
Lamine Diack on suspicion of corruption and money laundering linked
to the concealment of positive drug tests in concert with Russian
officials and the blackmailing of athletes.
WADA this week said it was crucial that Kenya's anti-doping body be
independent and function properly as soon as possible. The
Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) was set up in 2013 but was not
active until late 2015, when the government began to fund it for the
first time.
"This is a vital step for a country of Kenya’s sporting stature to
take if it is to effectively protect clean athletes,” WADA Director
General, David Howman, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The WADA statement was issued in response to the Beijing-related
bribery allegations against Mwangi, the agency saying it was
"extremely troubled" by the allegations.
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TESTING REGIME
Mwangi said the ADAK had been given a budget of 500 million
shillings ($5 million) and has become operational. Testing in Kenya
has been carried by a regional anti-doping organization, which is
associated with WADA.
Mwangi said the ADAK had now also begun to conduct tests.
"With increased funding, there is increased activity, there is
increased education, more outreach programs, more testing in
competition as well as out of competition," he said.
But local athletes and critics of Kenya's anti-doping efforts say
ADAK's presence is still minimal.
Mwangi said Kenya's anti-doping drive would be boosted by a law that
was likely to be passed by parliament soon, although the exact
timetable was unclear. The bill has not yet been officially
published.
"We will do the best to make sure our athletes...take part in the
competition and that athletes who are clean represent the country in
the best way possible," Mwangi added, referring to the Olympics.
Kenya's middle- and long-distance athletes are favorites to win gold
in many track and field events at the Rio Games, but their
preparations have been disrupted by persistent doping allegations
and corruption scandals at AK.
In November, three Kenyan officials were referred to the Ethics
Board of world athletics' governing body, the IAAF, over claims they
embezzled funds relating to a sponsorship deal with U.S. sports
giant Nike. The three men, including former AK President Isaiah
Kiplagat, have denied any wrongdoing.
(Reporting by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by George Obulutsa and Jon
Boyle)
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