Deputy President William Ruto during the interview at his home in Eldoret on December 24, 2014. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA |
NATION MEDIA GROUP
Kenya’s doping crisis has attracted the attention of the
Presidency, with Deputy President William Ruto calling for stringent
measures to be taken to defend the country’s hard-earned athletics
image.
The Deputy President wants athletes’ managers
aiding and abetting use of banned performance-enhancing substances their
athletes reined in immediately to help protect the Kenya’s good name.
Ruto’s
remarks come hot on the heels of a positive Erythropoietin (EPO) ‘B’
sample having been returned on beleaguered Boston and Chicago Marathon
champion Rita Jeptoo, and also after a damning probe report pointed at
massive loopholes in Kenya’s anti-doping wars.
Multiple marathons champion Rita Jeptoo leaves
Riadha House on November 4, 2014. Jeptoo’s fate seems to have been
sealed after her “B” sample corroborated her “A” test that turned out
positive for prohibited substance Erythropoietin (EPO). PHOTO | CHRIS
OMOLLO |
NATION MEDIA GROUP
The
world focused on numerous positive tests by Kenyan athletes in 2014, a
year that also saw the commissioning of a special team, led by
university law lecturer Moni Wekesa to investigate the prevalence of
doping in Kenya.
The
Wekesa report, released in April, disclosed that, in the recent past,
37 athletes tested positive for banned substances, with the number
increasing to 40 with other positive tests later in the year, including
that of Jeptoo.
Wekesa and his team also unearthed
disturbing findings and made several recommendations to the Sports
ministry, accusing Athletics Kenya of not giving the doping problem the
seriousness it deserves.
Sports Cabinet Secretary
Hassan Wario has since come out fighting, taking numerous positive
strides including the commissioning of the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya
(ADAK) and reaching out to China, Qatar and Norway to help set up doping
controls in Kenya.
In an exclusive Christmas interview
with Sunday Nation Sport, the Deputy President said it was unfortunate
that the good precedence set by Kenya’s pioneer athletes was being
tarnished by the scourge of drug usage in athletics.
UNFORTUNATE SITUATION
“That
(doping) is an unfortunate situation that is coming into our country,”
the Deputy President said. “Kenya has stood out for decades, since the
1960s when Ben Jipcho, Kipchoge Keino and many others were involved in
sports and we never had instances of doping.
“It is only in the last year or two that we have begun to see Kenyans suspected or tested and found to be using drugs.
“We
have natural talent and it should not be corrupted by people looking
for short cuts, and most of the explanations we are getting from
Athletics Kenya are associated with (pointing accusing fingers at) some
of the managers of our sportsmen.
It is my sincere hope
that those behind the doping problem are reined in as early as now so
that it does not get to a situation where they ruin our sportsmen and
women or even ruin our status as a country.”
Speaking to the Sunday Nation Sport separately,
Wario confirmed plans are in top gear to set up ADAK whose head office
will be at Kencom House adjacent to his ministry’s headquarters.
“Norway
and China are baby-sitting the process of setting up the Anti-Doping
Association of Kenya,” Wario said, adding that the government will from
next year be involved in the registration of athletes’ managers as a way
of controlling their operations and association with Kenyan athletes.
“We
want to be more in control of the agents – these people handle your
stars but do you know them?” asked Wario. “The law is clear that the
Registrar of Sports registers organisations and individuals.”
Matthew Kisorio crosses the finish line to win
the UAP Ndakaini Half Marathon on September 13, 2014 in Ndakaini. PHOTO |
CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION
The
Sports ministry is working with its Immigration counterpart to start
issuing work permits to agents many of whom come to Kenya on tourist
visas.
“Athletics has brought a lot of glory and
Athletics Kenya has done its best. We are now at a stage where we have
to put together legislation as the State – the days of Kipchoge Keino
and those of David Rudisha are totally different,” the Cabinet Secretary
said, highlighting the fact that the arrival of huge prize monies had
transformed athletics, bringing with it the pressure on athletes to
perform.
He is confident that the Sports Act 2013 will
play an important oversight role, saying education on the hazards of
doping is imperative.
“Doping today is like where
HIV/Aids was 30 years ago but from awareness increased through
education, now the average Kenyan understands about HIV/Aids.”
The
CS said that education will begin from the school level also targeting
school teachers who traditionally coach pupils and students. “The bulk
of our stars are from schools and these are targeted by the agents. We
need to start with educating the school coach.”
In his
report, Wekesa complains that most of the athletes’ agents are
foreigners with some of them “in a hurry to make a quick buck.”
“If
things continue this way and nothing is done, then the doping issue
will erode Kenya’s credibility,” Wekesa added. “But luckily for us, the
World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and the International Olympic Committee
have come up and said we must clean up.”
The Moni
Wekesa report emphasises that the doping problem will only be solved if
agents are registered by the government, anti-doping legislation in
place by the end of 2015 and if the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya starts
educating athletes.
ROLE MODELS
“Money
is the driving force and if we remove the incentive of too much money
in sports, then doping will be stopped,” argues Wekesa who pushes for
athletes themselves to provide role models in the fight against doping.
“We
need those who have never tested positive to say why we need a
drug-free sport and we need those who have tested positive to say it
does not pay to cheat.”
Besides Wekesa, who holds
doctorates in law and sports medicine, other members of the task force
on anti-doping included John Njogu, Sarah Shibutse, Julius Ogeto, Esther
Getambu, Njeri Onyango, Stephen Karinga and Leonard Kariuki.
Others were Benjamin Kogo, Alan Kosgei, Eddie Ndonga Kaddebe and Scholastica Mbito.
The
negative global publicity coming out of doping in Kenya will most
certainly mean that Kenyan athletes will be under more pressure to
perform in the 2015 season to prove that it’s not doping that brings the
country medals but sheer hard work and serious training.
KENYANS CORNERED SO FAR
MEN
Jynocel Onyancha Basweti: Tested positive for Boldenone, January 22, 2012; Banned for two years.
Wilson Loyanaye Erupe: Tested positive for Erythropoietin (Epo), January 4, 2014; Banned for two years ban
Nahashon Kimaiyo: Tested positive for Prednisolone, November 25, 2012. One year ban.
Ben Andrew Kimutai: Tested positive for Dexamethasone, November 18, 2012. One year ban.
Nixon Kiplagat: Tested positive for Norandrosterone, November 4. Banned for two years
Mathew Kisorio: Tested positive for Norandrosterone, June 14, 2014. Banned for two years.
Moses Kiptoo Kurgat: Tested positive for Salbutamol, October 23, 2012. Banned for two years.
Cosmas Kyeva: Tested positive for Norandrosterone, February 5, 2012. Banned for two years.
Anthony Wairuri: Tested positive for Norandrosterone, October 28, 2012. Banned for two year.
WOMEN
Salome Jerono Biwott: Tested positive for Norandrosterone, October 28, 2012. Banned for two years.
Lilian Jelagat: Tested positive for Erythropoietin (Epo), June 29, 2014. Banned for two years.
Peris Jepkorirm: Tested positive for Norandrosterone, July 5, 2013. Banned for two years
Pauline Kahenya: Prednisone and Prednisolone, March 3, 2013. One-year ban.
Genoveva KIgen: Tested positive for Clenbuterol, July 28, 2012. Banned for two years.
Rael Kiyara: Tested for Norandrosterone, April 29, 2012. Banned for two years.
Asiba Nyaboke: Tested positive for Norandrosterone, November 4, 2012. Banned for two years.
Ronald Ruto: Erythropoietin, April 23, 2012. Banned for two years.
Viola Chelangat Kimetto: Norandrosterone, December 1, 2013. Banned for two years.
Joyce Jemutai Kiplimo: April 20, 2014, Norandrosterone. Banned for two years.
PENDING CASES
Rita Jeptoo Sitienei:Erythropoietin (Epo), September 25, 2014
Elizabeth Jebet Chelagat
Philip Kibiwot Kandie, Epo January 2014.
Maunga James Nyakabira
Ndirangu Alice
Isaac Kimaiyo Kemboi
Bernard Mwendia Muthoni
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