What measures have you put in place to address doping menace?

1.Most of our athletes fall to this doping trap because they are unaware of what constitutes doping. What are you doing to create the awareness consistently or are your energies on penalising the users at the end of the process?

David Maranga, Langata

The Anti-Doping Act, 2016 involves conducting nationwide anti-doping campaigns. While penalising cheats also fall within our mandate, we have put a lot of energy into preventive strategies aimed at sensitising our athletes; elite and national, on the dangers of performance enhancing substances. We do not take pride in sanctioning athletes, but it is important to note that a sanction or penalty is the end result of a long and thorough legal process.

There are many athletes that we have not yet reached but we are working tirelessly towards this. Remember, the agency has been in existence for only two years and we cannot claim to have reached every athlete in this country. But we have tried our best and sensitised over 50,000 people since inception and we are targeting more as we continue with our programs. We have also shared information with games teachers for both Primary and Secondary schools in Kenya on Anti-Doping issues. Additionally, we have continued to organise and carry out Values Base Education for children under 16 years in our schools. These efforts are expected to impart the values that ‘promote the Spirit of Sports’ to children.

Elite athletes, on the other hand, have been sensitised and tested severally due to the nature of their international exposure and thus cannot feign unfamiliarity as a basis for failing a doping control test. We have taken it upon ourselves to ensure that we have Anti-Doping education sessions with any team representing the country internationally just before they depart for their competitions.

2.We are seeing a lot of construction and renovation of sports facilities especially in football for instance Bomu stadium and Uwanja wa Mbuzi in Mombasa while in Nairobi there is Dandora stadium and others. I have read elsewhere that doping control rooms are now a requirement in these facilities. Is Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK’s) input considered by Sports Kenya and the contractors rehabilitating these facilities?

Gabriel Tabona, Nairobi

The Sports Act No. 25 of 2013 did not introduce mandatory provisions for having a doping control stations in any sports facility, but as an agency we are ready to give our input whenever needed. It is important to note that majority of our sports facilities were designed long ago, and the requirements then did not necessitate for such facilities. At the appropriate time, we shall play a key role as will be required of us.

However, this does not mean that our work has been hampered in any way. Our ingenious approach to the doping control process within the Kenyan setting has enabled us to professionally carry out the process both for national and international level events.

3. Most of the banned substances are listed in the prohibited list using their scientific identities. How can Adak help athletes to identify these prohibited substances using easy names?

Abel Mutiso, via e-mail

Scientific identity of prohibited substances is adopted universally because it does not change across the globe. The understanding is that those in the field of medicine are able to recognise the substances and their effects from the scientific identity. Without a universal system of categorising these substances it becomes difficult to determine their classification hence the scientific identities.

It is on this premise that we have structured our anti-doping campaigns to ensure that messages to our target audiences are responsive and effective to their specific needs. We do not advise on the use of supplements for athletes as the market is greatly unregulated and the risk of an athlete testing positive for a prohibited substance are high. Our advice to athletes is to avoid food supplements and traditional herbs at all costs because there is high possibility of contamination. Lastly, athletes are always advised to have a copy of the prohibited list while visiting any doctor or pharmacy to enable an informed decision on the prescription and dosage.

4.Given the recent cases of doping by some of our top athletes, it would be correct to say that this goes against the drive to nurture sports talents especially among the youth. Is your agency having enough funds to contain this menace?

Dan Murugu, Nakuru

Just like any other government agency, we rely on the national Treasury for funding. We submit our estimates to the government through the laid down budget making procedures. So far, we have done extremely well with the funds that have been allocated to us. The anti-doping field is dynamic. We expect to see new strategies of dealing with the menace because of the complexity of the matter. We will keep re-organising and re-adjusting our approaches to the fight against doping in line with the provisions of the World Anti-Doping Code. In the process, we shall continue to engage the government for additional funding to expand our programs to make sure that we effectively deliver on our mandate.

5.What special skills do you have to deliver on this very sensitive mandate given that you previously served as a Provincial Commissioner and later on as Director General of National Youth Service before assuming your current position?

Dan Murugu, Nakuru

I started as a District Officer, then rose to a District Commissioner and Provincial Commissioner. I have been an administrator all my life and I must say that public service is one of the most gratifying responsibilities.

Serving as the Secretary for Sports in 2014 and 2015 gave me an exposure to sports administration from the ministry’s perspective. My subsequent appointment as the Chief Executive Officer, Adak, has allowed to me exercise the management skills in the sports sector. I currently hold an administrative position and lead a team of technical officers whose skills I ensure are well coordinated to deliver on the mandate of the agency.

I have, similarly, continuously applied myself to seeking new knowledge in whichever field I am called to serve, and this has come in handy in my present position.

6. Why does Adak allow Athletics Kenya to continue registering athletes’ managers who are suspected of being involved in doping?

Stephen Ndungu, Nairobi

Our mandate is clearly articulated in the Anti-Doping Act, 2016; the promotion of clean sport and safeguarding our athletes’ well-being through nationwide awareness campaigns and testing programmes. We, therefore, do not have jurisdiction over registration of sports managers. Our only role in the process is giving a recommendation against registration where a sportsperson, an athlete support personnel (manager, coach, agent, team doctor etc), is suspended because of an anti-doping rule violation.

7. To what extent is our country affected by doping menace? Besides just shaming those caught in this menace, what steps is the country through your agency taking to wipe out doping?

Francis Njuguna, Kibichoi

The Kenyan sporting scene has not been devoid of its share of challenges as far as doping is concerned. But for clarity, the doping menace is a global problem and it should not only be looked at from the Kenyan context. We have an elaborate plan on how we are dealing with this issue.

As pertains anti-doping education, we engage in structured workshops targeting athletes and their support personnel. We also conduct outreach programmes during various sports events which target athletes, support personnel, participants and the general public who attend to cheer.

On testing, we carry out doping control tests during sporting events and when there are no competitions. These tests are usually blood and urine.

The Agency has several partnerships with various State Agencies, with a view to ensure that we adopt a multi-pronged approach to the fight against doping. We have partnerships with; the National Police Service, National Intelligence Service, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board, Department of Immigration, National Registration Bureau, Ethics Anti-Corruption Commission and Customs and Border Control. All these bodies assist us in enforcing the various aspects associated with doping.

In the near future and in partnership with the Law Society of Kenya, we shall develop specialised training for advocates on Anti-Doping jurisprudence. Similarly, we have initiated communication with the Kenya Medical Training Colleges so as to develop a special package for their students.

8.As we continue to celebrate the exceptional performance of Eliud Kipchoge at the Berlin Marathon the past weekend, many fans celebrate it with a pinch of salt since many have done it before only for doping allegations to emerge later. Which are some of the key factors fuelling escalating doping cases?

Komen Moris, Eldoret

There are many factors that pre-dispose athletes the world over to the allure of doping. In Kenya, a study was conducted in 2014 for the World Anti-Doping Agency by scholars from Kenyatta University and The University of Stirling, School of Sport, UK. It found that most athletes attributed their proclivity to doping on the desire to excel, others cited lack of awareness of banned substances, some reported not knowing the factors influencing doping while a small group felt it was due to external pressures.

As an Agency we are still conducting a scientific inquiry into this area and soon we shall point out the main issues that pre-dispose our athletes to the vice. However, the most obvious factors are the desire to earn big money without necessarily breaking a sweat and lack of values in the society.

9.Two years ago, I was tested by Adak after the Kakamega Forest Marathon and I am yet to get the results. All efforts to get word from Adak have been fruitless. The testing officers were also rude and unfriendly. Will I ever get justice?

Charles Yosei Chemengich, Mt Elgon

We do not give doping control test results to an athlete unless we are notifying them of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation. When an event organiser requests the agency to carry out the tests during their events, any results that come out of the process are forwarded to the event organiser. This is under confidentiality.

However, your matter is still active before the Sports Disputes Tribunal and you are ware of the position Contact your legal representative for further advice.

10. The case of Asbel Kiprop raised some serious allegations that some of your officers could be corruptly colluding with sports people. Though we have not heard much about this from Adak, it is an issue that Adak needs to respond to urgently. What safeguards does Adak have to ensure that its officers do not forewarn individuals to be tested or interfere with samples?

Ephantus Murigi, Murang’a

We issued a comprehensive press statement on April 5, 2018 regarding the issue where we clearly indicated that the personnel involved in the collection of the sample were not our officers. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) subsequently issued their statement where they admitted that the Sample Collection Personnel were officers they had hired through a firm; International Doping Tests & Management AB (IDTM).

Our Doping Control Officers and Chaperones are professionally trained individuals who have been capacity built by officers from the South African Institute of Drug Free Sports (SAIDS), Anti-Doping Norway (ADNO) and the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD). In addition, we regularly reinforce on them, the values and responsibilities of sample collection personnel as espoused in WADA’s guidelines during our weekly briefs and meetings.