© Copyright – 2025 – Athletics Illustrated
During the summer of 2025, there was considerable discussion in the global athletics community that, as of October 1, the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) could be declared non-compliant. If so, the country could have been subject to a global ban, and athletes would be unable to compete in races anywhere. Kenya would also not be able to host international events.
As it turned out, ADAK was not officially declared non-compliant, but has now been put on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) watchlist. WADA’s Independent Compliance Review Committee made the decision.
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— Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (@ADAKKENYA) February 20, 2025
In a concerted effort to uphold the integrity of athletics in Kenya, the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy & Sports, Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK), Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) , and Athletics Kenya(AK) launched the Enhanced Anti-Doping Project. pic.twitter.com/tNlZk1asgM
The decision marks a change in the relationship between WADA and ADAK. For more than a year, ADAK has been under WADA’s watchful eye. The doping agency is now on probation. The decision was made after an audit conducted in May 2024, and since then, many Kenyan athletes have been suspended for doping-related offences, including marathon world record holder Ruth Chepngetich.
ADAK needs to address requirements
WADA explained that ADAK has still not addressed critical requirements that were identified from the review.
The executive committee considered ADAK non-compliant during its meeting. However, the agency showed some progress.
ADAK created a corrective action plan outlining how it intends to solve the issues noted, and they were to be completed within four months. That progress prompted the global body’s leadership to refer the case back to the compliance review committee for a fresh assessment.
According to WADA, inclusion on the watchlist complies with the International Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories.
In practice, this means ADAK has until March 2, 2026, to implement its improvement plan. If by then the irregularities have not been resolved to the committee’s satisfaction, a new non-compliance notice will be issued without the need for another executive committee vote.
For now, no sanctions will apply.
WADA said “the non-compliance consequences for ADAK do not apply at this stage” and that it will continue to monitor the process “as necessary.” Currently, only two signatories to the code are in a state of non-compliance. These include the national anti-doping agencies of Russia and Sri Lanka.
Kenya is complicated
Kenya is a complicated scenario. While doping is wrong for health, ethical and legal reasons, access to performance-enhancing drugs for athletes, agents and coaches is open and affordable. Typically, Kenyan athletes are so poor that it is “worth it” to risk health and a ban to take drugs for the purpose of winning prize money. Clawing back or retrieving money awarded after a doping positive is expensive and not worth the effort — at least not for race organizers.
Many Kenyan athletes leverage their talent and the benefits of the high-altitude environment to take up athletics. However, they often go into debt to pay for flights, accommodation and drugs until that prize money is won. The pressure from families and those who loan money is massive. Corruption is a daily thing, and the appetite to get out of the country runs deep.
Banning the country will eliminate a low-but-simmering industry of enablers who, as corrupt as they may be, help athletes gain international experience and exposure to money they could never earn legally at home.
Additionally, agents and coaches from Europe (in some cases) are suspected of benefiting from Kenyan athletes’ prowess. There is suspicion that some influence athletes to dope, although there is no proof. On the hot seat at this time is Italian agent Frederico Rosa.
Structural organization for Athletics Kenya and ADAK seems to be rather chaotic. Meanwhile, athletes will continue to act in rogue fashion to get ahead.
The Athletics Integrity Unit, which is an independent WADA agency, has been processing suspensions on a near-daily basis; the majority are from Kenya. So, while officiousness is important from the top, control at the athlete level is lacking in a great way.
Whether ADAK can tighten its practices to be considered compliant with WADA is of concern, but regardless of whether they do, athletes will continue to seek the money they so desperately desire.
The AIU will have to plug the dyke, while the structure gets its makeover in its painfully slow-motion, legally fair process, overseen by WADA.
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