Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya has welcomed the removal of Kenya from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) watchlist. He says this is a big step towards the country’s efforts to regain the trust of the international community regarding the cleanliness of the country’s athletics.
Speaking after the announcement, Mvurya said that the decision by WADA to remove Kenya from the watchlist is a big step towards restoring the country’s confidence in the field of athletics.
The country was put on the watchlist after the 2024 audit report showed that the country was not fully complying with the anti-doping regulations in the field of sports. The report showed that the country’s sports institutions were not fully complying with the global anti-doping regulations that were put in place to curb the vice in the country.
According to the Sports Cabinet Secretary, the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) has been working hard to address the issues that were identified by the 2024 report as the reasons for the country being put on the watchlist by WADA.
For some years now, the country has been under pressure in the field of athletics because of the number of cases of doping among some of the country’s athletes. The The incidents raised concern internationally and threatened to damage the country’s strong reputation in long-distance running.
Mvurya said the latest decision by WADA shows that the reforms put in place are beginning to bear fruit.
He however noted that the work is not over, saying Kenya must continue enforcing strict anti-doping measures to ensure fairness in sport.
The CS added that the country wants to make sure its success in athletics is not only about winning medals, but also about honesty and respect for the rules.
