The National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) has urged members of parliament to fast-track the Anti-Doping bill. Failure to do so will mean Kenya is declared non-compliant to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code and subsequently risk being locked out of the forthcoming Olympics.

“With the Wada deadline of April 5 when we must have passed the law prohibiting doping, or we are declared non-compliant to WADA Code, and our Parliament going on recess on Thursday until April 10, we only have one day – Wednesday to pass this Bill into law,” said Kipchoge Keino in a statement.

According to NOC-K chairman Kipchoge Keino, the legislators should pass the Bill today before parliament goes for recess tomorrow until April 10^th in order to meet the deadline given by WADA. The Bill was to be tabled in the National Assembly yesterday.

“We cannot gamble with the future of this country, knowing what crucial role sports has played and continue to play in the economy of this great nation. We cannot afford to be banned from Olympics because that will be a disaster for our great nation,” he said. “I am pleading with our MPs to rise above partisan interests and put the nation ahead of everything else to pass this crucial piece of law. It will remove any doubt in the minds of the world that we are serious with doping matters,” he said.

KENYA RISKS BEING LOCKED OUT OF THE OLYMPICS

Last month, Sebastian Coe, the president of International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), threatened to ban Kenya’s entire track and field team from the Olympics if the country’s athletics federation joined Russia’s in being declared non-compliant with the World Anti-Doping Agency code.

Wada wants Kenya to institute measures to combat doping and is recommending among other things, the funding of a national anti-doping agency.

“We are awaiting concrete plans from the Kenyan government for the funding of the national anti-doping agency, and, crucially, the finalization of Kenya’s legislation and anti-doping rules”.