NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 31 – President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed the Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2020 into law, just a few days after the Bill was unanimously passed by the Senate.
The new law amends the Anti-Doping Act of 2016 to align Kenya’s legislative framework with the 2021 World Anti-Doping code and regulations.
The new anti-doping law also ensures the continued participation of Kenyan athletes in local, regional and international competitions in line with the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention against doping in sports.
The National Assembly passed the Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2020 on December 22nd while the Senate passed it on 29 December 2020 before it was presented to the President for signing on Thursday, beating the 1st January 2021 deadline set to bar athletes from non-compliant countries from participating in international sporting competitions.
Kenya has constantly been on the WADA scope due to increased doping cases among most of its star athletes and the new legislation will among other things ensure that doping is now a criminal offence.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has been on record for the past one year, insisting that the only way to end the menace that has threatened to taint Kenya’s athletics image is criminalized.
