The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has confirmed that despite Parliament passing an Anti-Doping Bill yesterday, Kenya still has work to do if it is to meet WADA’s 2 May deadline for compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code. “As we recently reported, the Compliance Review Committee will on 2 May 2016 review the decision in relation to the Kenyan NADO”, said a WADA spokesperson. “Unless they deem that the Bill, policy and ADAK [Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya] rules are formally adopted by that date, then they will recommend to the WADA Foundation Board that the Kenyan NADO should be declared non-compliant”.

The WADA Foundation Board will consider the recommendation of the independent Compliance Review Committee at its 12 May meeting, when a final decision will be made. On February 22, WADA said that ‘the draft Bill, policy and regulations submitted by ADAK are not in line with the Code’. Central to the Compliance Review Committee’s decision will be whether Kenya has made sufficient amendments its the draft Bill and regulations.

The major amendment discussed in Parliament was understood to be raising a fine from KES3 million (€260,000) to KES5 million (€436,000) for anyone caught supplying athletes with banned substances. The Bill is also understood to empower ADAK to impose a KES100,000 (€872) fine and/or a year in jail on an athlete caught doping; plus sanctions for sports bodies that are found to have acted improperly. “We must await the Committee’s independent judgment on the matter before commenting”, continued the WADA spokesperson.