Wada declares Kenya fully compliant

Disgraced marathoner Rita Jeptoo (left) arrives with her lawyer at the Athletics Kenya headquarters in Nairobi on January 15, 2015. PHOTO | TONY KARUMBA |

What you need to know:

  • The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has now stopped any further monitoring against Kenya over doping, saying the country demonstrated and expressed its commitment to addressed critical issues in the fight against doping in sports.
  • Wada Lead Auditor Kevin Haynes disclosed that they have further directed their Compliance Unit not to proceed with the Compliance Monitoring Procedure against Kenya.
  • “We have reviewed all the documents provided and concluded that you have successfully addressed all critical and important corrective actions as outlined in the Final Audit Report,” said Haynes in a letter dated September 1, this year to Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) Chief Executive Officer, Japhter Rugut.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has now stopped any further monitoring against Kenya over doping, saying the country demonstrated and expressed its commitment to addressed critical issues in the fight against doping in sports.

Wada Lead Auditor Kevin Haynes disclosed that they have further directed their Compliance Unit not to proceed with the Compliance Monitoring Procedure against Kenya.

“We have reviewed all the documents provided and concluded that you have successfully addressed all critical and important corrective actions as outlined in the Final Audit Report,” said Haynes in a letter dated September 1, this year to Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (Adak) Chief Executive Officer, Japhter Rugut.

Haynes noted that Kenya’s case was not presented to the Compliance Review Committee on August 22 2017, as outlined in the letter dated 9 August 2017.

Kenya’s doping case was still pending even after Wada removed the country from its Doping Code’s non-compliant list in August last year following the country’s move to enact anti-doping laws.

That saw Kenya avoid being banned from taking pat at last year’s Rio Olympic Games and this year’s World Championships in athletics in London.

However, Haynes said the Wada will continue to monitor the implementation of 'your' anti-doping programs and will also be available for any assistance or support if required.

“On behalf of the audit team, I would like to thank you again for your cooperation and commitment to the fight against doping in sport,” said Haynes.

In a statement from Adak, Rugut lauded Wada for their support in ensuring that Adak complied with all the audit requirements.

Rugut acknowledged the role played by Adak in ensuring that Kenya continues to participate in international sporting events.

“We have a cardinal duty of ensuring that we promote clean sport through complying with the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Code,” said Rugut.

“The positive feedback is clear testament that our practices are above board and that Adak is compliant to international standards.”

Among the areas that Adak was required to focus on was the training of Blood Collection Officers (BCOs) who are critical in the collection of blood samples from athletes. These samples are later transported for testing to Wada accredited laboratories abroad.

Rugut noted that blood sample collection was vital in the anti-doping testing process and it is for this reason that, in February this year, they trained some officers for that task in collaboration with the South Africa Institute for Drug Free Sports (Saids).

Wada had in their report after the audit in December, last year recommended that Kenya put in place a framework for blood sample collection. “In implementing the recommendation we enlisted the services of Phlebotomists who draw the samples from athletes before we ship them to Wada accredited laboratories for testing,” added Rugut.

Adak was also required to, within three months from December of the audit, develop an Anti-doping education work plan, which would document and coordinate all education activities including values-based education.

“We submitted a work-plan which has the provision for inclusion of anti-doping education in schools curricula which is in line with Wada requirement,” explained Rugut.

Rugut detailed that the full audit of Adak’s Anti-Doping program was a recommendation from the Wada’s External Compliance Review Committee (CRC) as a condition of Adak and Kenya’s, compliant status.