Kenya, China to attend Anti-Doping meeting in South Africa

Kenya, Norway and China Anti-Doping Agencies will send their representatives in a tripartite meeting with WADA African region office in Cape Town, South Africa next week.

Sports Commission Gordon Oluoch said late Friday that Kenya will be represented by the Professor Moni Wekesa-led task force, which was appointed by Cabinet Minister Hassan Wario last year.

Kenya and China are keen to eradicate use of drugs and other EPOs in the sports industry and the two will meet in South Africa next week in the auspices of WADA and WADA Africa Regional Office.

"Kenya will send a very strong delegation to Cape Town next week for a tripartite partnership with Anti-Doping Norway and Chinada (Chinese National Anti-Doping Agency) in collaboration with WADA and WADA Africa Regional Office," said Oluoch.

Wario said this when he made public a Task Force Report on the country's doping situation, which he sanctioned last year after undercover journalists revealed the scourge was widespread in the country.

"This is the start of our fight against doping and we warn anyone who wants to go that path that they will be caught. We will set up an independent body with legal mandate and financially facilitated to tackle the doping menace," said Wario.

He added: "The body will gazette and officials made known to you soon. We will enact anti-doping legislation before January 2016. The government will provide an initial 60,000 dollars for the office."

"The agency will recommend to the relevant government institutions and professional organizations to take serious action that include cancellation of license of agents of athletes caught doping without offending individuals and institutions," Wario said.

"We will liaise with the relevant organizations including WADA to see what further punitive action may be taken against offending individuals, athletes, officials and organizations."

There was, however, no representation from Athletics Kenya though 36 athletes have been banned for using prohibited substances.

The Report, chaired by Professor Moni Wekesa, interviewed 133 persons across the country and from various sports federations; managers of some top athletes; some owners of chemists and other shops suspected to be source of prohibited substances and even sent samples of suspicious food supplements and other substances to laboratories for analysis.

"Several findings emerged and the respondents who were active sportspersons from Kenyan universities and top leagues in various sports showed that these prohibited substances are found in shops and from Uganda and that many coaches are aware of this situation.

"Soccer, athletics and rugby were used as case studies. In all three sports, there is no anti-doping programme," says the report.

"In soccer, the use of Cannabis Sativa (bhang) is widespread and this is encouraged by coaches and certain other officials," the report notes.

"In athletics, accidental use (due to ignorance) and involvement of foreign agents are blamed for the sophisticated drugs which Kenyan athletes tested positive."

According to the report, even in the serious allegations against Kenyan athletes, Athletics Kenya has no elaborate programme on anti-doping.

"In rugby, there appears to be systematic doping of players through the use of food supplements laced with steroids," the report read in part.

It also recommended that stringent measures for licensing and renewal of licenses of foreign coaches and managers.