By KPC Sports Reporter
Kenya has officially been removed from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) compliance watchlist, marking a significant milestone in the country’s fight against doping in sports.
The announcement was made by Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Salim Mvurya, who hailed the decision as a testament to Kenya’s commitment to clean sport and integrity.
“The Government of Kenya welcomes and notes with great satisfaction the decision by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to formally close the compliance procedure concerning Kenya and remove the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) from the compliance watchlist,” Mvurya said in his statement.
The removal follows a rigorous audit conducted in May 2024, after which ADAK swiftly implemented corrective measures.
These included strengthening governance structures, enhancing operational independence, improving results management, and reinforcing intelligence and investigations capacity. Importantly, Kenya faced no formal non-compliance consequences during the process.
“The removal of Kenya from the compliance watchlist sends a clear and powerful message to the global sporting community: Kenya remains firmly committed to clean sport, institutional accountability, and international cooperation in safeguarding the integrity of athletics and all sporting disciplines,”m Mvurya said.
He also noted that compliance is an ongoing responsibility, with WADA continuing to monitor signatories under its oversight system.
Kenya, he said, welcomes this scrutiny as it enhances credibility and trust in sport.
Looking ahead, the government pledged sustained investment in testing programs, intelligence-led investigations, education initiatives, and robust legal frameworks to ensure athletes compete fairly.
Mvurya commended ADAK staff, intelligence teams, and stakeholders for their role in achieving this milestone.
“As a nation, we remain unequivocal that the future of Kenyan sport must also be defined by integrity,” he said.