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Kenya’s fight against doping has received a shot in the arm after KEMRI partnered with the English Premier League testing laboratory to set up an anti-doping lab in Eldoret
The fight against doping in Kenya has received a boost after the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kings University College London to partner in the establishment of an antidoping lab at KEMRI Centre in Eldoret.
Kenya is a 'Category A' country under World Athletics' Anti-Doping Rules, which means its athletes must undergo at least three no-notice, out-of-competition urine and blood tests ahead of major events following widespread doping cases in the country with over 60 athletes suspended in the last one year.
This is therefore one among other steps, KEMRI is taking to realise fully the recently launched, Sports Sciences Research Centre in Eldoret.
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08:52 - 28.07.2023
ATHLETICS Why Kenyan drug cheats prefer these four substances
Kenya has remained on the list of shame as doping cases escalate and it has emerged that a big percentage use specific substances for various reasons.
Kings University College is the only accredited antidoping laboratory in the United Kingdom and among others is the testing centre for all Premier League footballers.
According to KEMRI’s Acting Director General and CEO Prof Elijah Songok, the partnership with the London-based College will bring on board the required expertise for the Institute to carry out effective Sports Research.
“We are really excited to partner with King’s College, a university that has vast experience, expertise and reputation in anti-doping testing and research. We believe this is the right step in ensuring KEMRI serves as a hub for athlete sample testing but also as a homegrown platform for other research and aim to eliminate the need to send samples out of Kenya,” said Songok.
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17:02 - 15.07.2023
ATHLETICS Why Kenya is still in Category A of the World Anti-Doping Agency's compliance watch list
Kenya has been in Category A since 2016 but measures are being put in place to reduce the doping cases.
“We are happy to partner with KEMRI and we shall work together in consultation with WADA for Kenya to acquire the first accredited anti-doping laboratory for the East Africa region,” said Prof Kim Wolff, Head of Kings Forensics Centre.
Among the activities to be done by KEMRI and Kings College include partnership in the equipment of the laboratory with approved instrumentations, design of WADA approved protocols, training of KEMRI staff at Kings Forensics, and partnership in research and testing activities on anti-doping, forensics and drugs of abuse.
With a big number of Kenyan athletes coming from Rift Valley, Eldoret appears to be the ideal location for the antidoping lab as it will make it easier to conduct tests while athletes will not have to wait long for their results.
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07:39 - 15.07.2023
GENERAL NOC-K joins forces with ADAK to fight doping ahead of 2024 Olympics
Kenya's Olympic Committee has employed a multisectoral approach to tighten the noose around drug cheats ahead of next year's Games in Paris.
There have also been widespread reports of rogue pharmacies and medical personnel administering banned substances to athletes in the region, taking advantage of lack of knowledge among runners, which will be another thing the presence of the lab will deal with.
This is part of the government’s efforts to weed out doping after urging World Athletics not to ban the country from the sport due to the increased cases of cheating among its runners.
Kenya committed an annual amount of $5 million (Ksh738 million) over the next five years for the fight against doping following the pact with World Athletics.
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