On Wednesday, April 2, Kenyan authorities announced new and stricter drug-testing measures for athletes aiming to qualify for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
This decision comes as the country seeks to rebuild its reputation following a series of doping scandals.
Jackson Tuwei, the chief of Athletics Kenya (AK), revealed that 444 athletes have been selected for the rigorous testing program. These tests, which will be conducted in collaboration with both Kenyan and World Athletics anti-doping agencies, require athletes to undergo three drug tests as part of the qualification process for the championships, scheduled to take place from September 13 to 21.
Tuwei stressed that both in-competition and out-of-competition testing will be mandatory for all selected athletes. He added, “Missing a test or failing to comply with testing authorities and sample collection procedures will affect their eligibility.”
Kenya has faced considerable challenges with doping scandals in recent years. In the aftermath of the 2016 Rio Olympics, where doping issues tainted the country’s reputation, Kenya was declared non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Since 2017, nearly 130 Kenyan athletes, mainly long-distance runners, have been sanctioned for doping violations.
One of the most recent cases involved Kibiwott Kandie, the former half-marathon world record holder, who was suspended in March while under investigation for “evading, refusing, or failing to submit to sample collection.”
Despite these efforts, Kenya remains on the WADA watchlist’s top category, although the government has pledged $25 million over the next five years to combat doping in the country.
WADA’s director general, Olivier Niggli, expressed concerns about the ongoing drug scandals in Kenya, stating, “Kenya has been a concern for a number of years.” However, World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe, who visited Kenya earlier in the month, acknowledged the progress made by the country in addressing the doping issue.
With these new measures, Kenya is determined to ensure that its athletes are clean and ready for competition, while restoring its standing in the global athletics community.
