World Athletics president Seb Coe is proud of the efforts Kenya have made in curbing doping.
Coe says the global governing body have been impressed with the commitment of Athletics Kenya (AK) and government of Kenya in eradicating the vice.
“I know the Athletic Integrity Unit, which is the independent organization within World Athletics that monitors and conducts all our testing programs, is very satisfied by the progress that is being made. The funding made available by the Kenyan government has been extremely helpful in this fight,” Coe said.
For all its gargantuan status in world athletics, the doping vice remains a huge headache for Kenya, having been lumped into the dreaded Category A of country’s notorious for the practice.
Eight years after earning this unenviable categorisation, the country continues to struggle with the vice even as stakeholders continue to tighten the screws on would-be culprits as well as those caught in the practice.
To add salt to the wound, the Kenyan athletics has also been bedevilled by increasing cases of domestic violence/gender-based violence (GBV), involving athletes.
Reflecting on the emerging threat, Coe admitted the GBV is not alien to Kenyan athletics but nonetheless noted the potential of sports as a vehicle to create awareness about the vice.
“And the second key area, and the very prominent challenge, is gender-based violence, not entirely or uniquely linked to sport, but recognizing that we can use sport as a way of raising the profile of this challenge,” the world governing body boss said.
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He was speaking at the Talanta Plaza during a courtesy call on Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya on Tuesday morning.
Speaking at the same time, Mvurya reiterated the Kenyan government’s continued investment in anti-doping efforts.
He reaffirmed the government will continue implementing a commitment made two years ago of $5 million (approximately Ksh 650 million) annual funding for the fight against doping.
“We have remained committed to ensuring that we avail resources every year to strengthen sensitization, testing of athletes, and also to do investigations, as well as making sure that we create awareness for compliance for every athlete,” the CS said.
The CS further said GBV ranks top of the government’s agenda as far as sports is concerned.
“The government of Kenya has rolled out gender-based violence efforts in sports, and right now we have a whole secretariat headed by a CEO who has made a lot of progress,” Mvurya said.
Also present at the meeting was AK president Jack Tuwei and Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum.
