President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday signed the legislation, which criminalizes doping activities in the African country.
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Following the signing, the law is now in full effect meaning kenya has met all the world anti doping agency conditions and awaits being declared compliant by Wada thus banishing any threats of a possible ban from the August Rio Olympic games in Brazil.
The law, demanded by WADA, will criminalise doping in a country with a history of middle and long-distance running excellence, but tainted by recent doping cases. Kenya had previously missed two deadlines set by the global watchdog to show it was tackling doping in sport.
WADA’s position on the criminalisation of doping remains unchanged, saying athletes found guilty of doping should not face criminal charges, although it has encouraged governments to introduce laws to penalise the traffickers and distributors of banned substances.
The World Anti-Doping Agency is not the only organization pressuring Kenya to deal with doping.
“The laboratory will resume testing work after its changes have been reviewed by WADA”, the agency said in a statement on its Web site.
“I am confident that Wada will look upon the passage of our anti-doping law favourably as a sign of our unwavering commitment to meeting the highest worldwide standards”, Kenyatta said. “The problem took place because we failed to follow Wada’s latest technique requirements and there were oversights in reviewing the analysis”, he said.
WADA’s compliance committee will make a recommendation to WADA’s board, which will make the final decision on Kenya’s compliance at its meeting on May 12.
Meanwhile, WADA has confirmed that four Chinese swimming doping cases are still being handled by CHINADA, one of them dating back to late summer last year, three from January this year.
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Russian athletics was subsequently handed a ban from all worldwide competition by track and field’s governing body, the IAAF. “That’s what WADA was waiting for in Kenya”. In February, Kenyan Athletics Federation general manager Isaac Mwangi was suspended for six months for alleged corruption trying to cover up positive drug tests. “So we are safe”, London Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge said.
