This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/kenya-president-signs-doping-law-to-avoid-wada-sanctions/2016/04/22/acb3ab22-0873-11e6-bfed-ef65dff5970d_story.html

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Kenya president signs doping law to avoid WADA sanctions Kenya president signs doping law to avoid WADA sanctions
(about 1 hour later)
NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed a long awaited anti-doping bill, a move which will likely help the country avoid sanctions from the World Anti-Doping Agency. NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s president signed a law Friday that criminalizes doping in a move that will likely help the country avoid sanctions from the World Anti-Doping Agency ahead of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Kenyatta signed the bill into law on Friday, the final step to implementing the legislation after it was passed by lawmakers on Tuesday. Kenya has a final deadline of May 2 to make improvements to its anti-doping program and avoid being declared non-compliant with WADA’s global code. President Uhuru Kenyatta signed the long-awaited anti-doping bill after it was passed by lawmakers on Tuesday. Kenyatta personally drove the law through parliament after Kenya missed two previous deadlines because of bureaucratic delays.
The anti-doping law was the most problematic of the reforms for Kenya, which had already missed two WADA deadlines. “Let me be clear that this law is the continuation, not the end, of our efforts to stand against cheating and corruption in the sporting and athletics arena,” Kenyatta said.
Kenyatta said the law was “the continuation, not the end, of our efforts to stand against cheating and corruption in the sporting and athletics arena.” Kenyatta’s signature was the last step to implementing the law, one of a number of reforms Kenya needs to make to its anti-doping program by a final deadline of May 2 to avoid being declared non-compliant with WADA’s global code.
Since the 2012 London Olympics, 40 Kenyan athletes have been banned for doping. A declaration of non-compliance could lead to sterner punishment for Kenya by track and field governing body IAAF, including a possible ban for its athletes from the Rio Games.
Since the 2012 London Olympics, 40 Kenyan athletes have been banned for doping. Recently, four senior track federation officials were suspended on allegations of corruption and possible cover-ups involving the anti-doping process.
Amid that doping crisis, Kenya needed to pass the law and set up and properly fund a national anti-doping agency to appease WADA. Kenya’s previous anti-doping controls were found to be poor.
“Today, I am confident that WADA will look upon the passage of our anti-doping law favorably as a sign of our unwavering commitment to meeting the highest international standards,” Kenyatta said in a speech following his signing of the bill.
The new law calls for a three-year prison term and $30,000 fine for people found guilty of doping offenses.
“I want to urge our athletes and sportsmen and women to hold themselves to the highest possible code of conduct,” Kenyatta said. “I know that many do, and I know that the few cases of cheating we have encountered in the past are not a reflection on the integrity of all our athletes. Yet the world will indict us as a country based on the individual breaches of each athlete and each national team.”
The passing of the law by parliament earlier this week was met with relief by some of Kenya’s top athletes, who feared they might be thrown out of the Rio Olympics.
“That’s what WADA was waiting for in Kenya. So we are safe,” London Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge said.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.