MPs raise concern over rising doping cases

The National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture committee chair Turkana North MP Paul Ekwom Nabuin during a meeting with ADAK  on April 7, 2026. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

The National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture has called for strengthening anti-doping systems to protecting the integrity of Kenyan athletics and safeguarding the reputation of the country’s athletes on the global stage.

Speaking during a meeting with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) to review the country’s progress in complying with international anti-doping standards set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said Kenya has faced increased global scrutiny in recent years due to a rising number of doping violations among its athletes.

This is particularly in long-distance running, a sport that has historically placed the country among the world’s leading athletics powerhouses.

The committee, chaired by Turkana North MP Paul Ekwom Nabuin, sought clarification on the steps being taken to address the growing number of doping cases involving Kenyan athletes.

Ag. ADAK Chief Executive Officer Peninah Wahome told Members of Parliament that the agency has  intensified both in-competition and out-of-competition testing in a bid to curb the vice.

Ag. CEO Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK)  Peninah  Wahome before Public Investments Committee on Social Services on April 8, 2026. [Elvis Ogina,Standard] 

She said the authority has expanded the Registered Testing Pool (RTP) and strengthened the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) programme to enable long-term monitoring of athletes and detect suspicious physiological changes associated with doping.

“We have scaled up both in-competition and out-of-competition testing, particularly targeting high-risk athletes and disciplines,” Wahome said.

She added that Kenyan athletes are now being more closely monitored through coordinated testing plans developed jointly with international anti-doping bodies.

According to Wahome, despite Kenya being removed from WADA’s list of non-compliant countries in recent years, the threat of doping remains significant, especially among elite and upcoming athletes seeking financial success in competitive athletics.

“The risk of doping remains high, particularly due to financial incentives among elite and upcoming athletes and the culture of silence surrounding doping practices,” she told the committee.

She warned that such conditions create an environment where organised doping cartels can operate and exploit vulnerable athletes.

Members of the committee also sought to know how ADAK is strengthening collaboration with international bodies such as the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and WADA to ensure Kenyan athletes remain compliant with global anti-doping regulations.

In response, Wahome said the agency is working closely with both organisations to enhance testing coverage and strengthen intelligence-led investigations.

This includes increased inclusion of Kenyan athletes in the Registered Testing Pool and Testing Pool, coordinated test distribution planning with international bodies and enhanced use of the Athlete Biological Passport to monitor long-term physiological markers.

The long-standing challenge of establishing a national anti-doping laboratory in Kenya was raised as  MPs learned that ADAK relies on accredited laboratories abroad to analyse samples collected from athletes, a process that significantly increases operational costs.

Wahome told the committee that shipping samples abroad and conducting multiple scientific analyses remains one of the most expensive components of the agency’s testing mandate.