Sh20 million blow: Kenya’s anti-doping war crippled after drastic budget cut

Kenya’s fight against doping suffered a serious setback after the government slashed the budget for the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) from Sh288 million to just Sh20 million in September 2024, triggering an uproar among athletes, sports officials, and global watchdogs.

The drastic cut sparked deep concerns over whether the country is fully committed to curbing the growing cases of performance-enhancing drug use among its athletes, which threaten to stain Kenya’s global athletics legacy.

According to the Daily Nation, Athletics Integrity United has revealed that over 100 Kenyan athletes are currently serving doping bans, a worrying trend for a country celebrated for dominating middle and long-distance races.

While Kenya’s success has long been attributed to talent, discipline, and strategic investment in sports infrastructure and youth development, that image has come under serious threat as doping scandals rise.

High-profile cases such as former Olympic marathon champion Jemimah Sumgong and former 1,500m world champion Asbel Kiprop, who both tested positive for erythropoietin in 2016 and 2017, respectively, have only added to the growing list of violations.

The increasing number of infractions has cast doubt over Kenya’s commitment to clean sports and invited closer scrutiny from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Athletics Integrity Unit.

These international organisations have kept Kenya in Category A, a group of countries most affected by doping since 2016.

Adak was established in 2016 following warnings by WADA about Kenya’s poor anti-doping structures, which had put the country at risk of being banned from international competition ahead of the Rio Olympics.

The agency was given the mandate to enforce anti-doping policies, carry out athlete testing, educate the sports community, and ensure full compliance with WADA’s global anti-doping code. Its role became even more critical as Kenya’s sporting profile rose.

However, the 2024 budget cut severely weakened Adak’s operations. The agency confirmed that it could not carry out tests outside track and field due to a lack of funds, creating loopholes in doping control across other sports.

This not only undermined Kenya’s anti-doping strategy but also dealt a blow to the clean athletes whose efforts now risk being overshadowed by those using banned substances.

The seriousness of the situation prompted a meeting between Wada’s Africa Office Director, Rodney Swigelaar, and the then-Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Kipchumba Murkomen, in October 2024.

During the meeting in Nairobi, CS Murkomen assured Wada that Kenya remained committed to the global anti-doping cause and would revise Adak’s funding to reflect that promise.

On June 3, Adak acting chairman Joseph Kagunda and acting CEO Peninah Wahome announced that the agency’s annual budget had been revised upward to Sh185 million.

While the revised amount offered some relief, it still fell far short of the Sh288 million allocated in the 2022/23 financial year, at a time when the doping crisis demands stronger action.

“Wada raised concerns in its audit of our programmes that other sports were not being adequately covered,” Wahome said during the announcement.

She noted that the revised funding would now allow Adak to expand its reach to all sports federations and roll out a more inclusive anti-doping strategy.

Even so, Adak’s ability to support athletes, cooperate internationally, and provide comprehensive athlete services remains limited due to the funding shortfall.

Wahome acknowledged that the budget cut had crippled the agency’s capacity, warning that the hard work and clean reputation of many athletes may continue to be eroded if resources are not fully restored.