Kenyan president signs anti-doping Bill into law

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday signed the historic Anti-Doping Bill into law thus beating the May 2 deadline set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

A statement issued in Nairobi after the signing ceremony witnessed by prominent sportsmen and women said Kenyatta made it clear that the signing of the law is not an end by itself but rather the continuation of his government' s efforts to stand against cheating and corruption in the sporting and athletics arena.

"As I have repeatedly emphasized, Kenya is 100 percent committed to ensuring total compliance with international regulations on sports and athletics, be they set by WADA, IAAF, the International Olympic Committee or any other International Organisation," he said.

Kenyatta said the East African nation is committed to ensuring that Kenyan sports teams compete by the book because "we believe that across the board, Kenyans are more than able to win fairly."

Kenya has twice missed to implement the new laws, first on Feb. 11 and now on April 5, but the global anti-doping agency has pardoned them.

But it has now warned if it fails to meet the May 2 deadline, the country will be banned from the Rio Olympics.

The country came to the limelight three years ago for doing nothing to curb doping, which was 43 cases reported in the last three years alone.

However, sports officials and IAAF have come to the country defence saying the cases were not systematic and couldn' t apply a blanket ban on the athletes.

However, the country remained adamant and did little to boost its anti-doping campaign with all out-of-competition tests done by either IAAF or the World Marathon Majors (WMM).

Since the 2012 London Olympics four senior track and field officials are under investigation by the IAAF Ethics Committee for what the global body said was possible subversion of the anti-doping process.

While signing the Bill, Kenyatta pointed out that cheating in whatever way is a dis-service to the potential of players and the talent of athletes.

He expressed confident that WADA will look upon the passage of the anti-doping law favourably as a sign of Kenya' s unwavering commitment to meeting the highest international standards.

"Yet even as our national leadership takes these necessary steps to compliance, I want to urge our athletes and sportsmen and women to hold themselves to the highest possible code of conduct," said the President.

He said Kenyan athletes have earned reputation as sportsmen and women of the highest stature through hard work over the years.

"That reputation has been earned diligently through the exertion and effort, sweat and sacrifices of many hardworking men and women," he said.

However President Kenyatta made it clear that those who breach the law will be punished without fear of favour. He said the law will not only apply to individually athletes and players but to teams too.

Source: XINHUA