Kenyan government defunds drug testing, favours funding World Athletics Championships

© Copyright – 2024 – Athletics Illustrated

Kenyan Sports Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen, supports Athletics Kenya’s bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships.

Money for championships but none for anti-doping?

Yet, the government of Kenya defunded the Anti-doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) in mid-September. ADAK chairman Daniel Makdwallo warned that the agency cannot run its operations, having had the budget reduced to 20 million shillings (155,000 U.S. dollars) down from the 2.23 million dollars it received in the previous fiscal year.

Due to the defunding announcement, Kenya became at risk of being declared non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) after the country’s government slashed the budget for the 2024/25 financial year.

Kenya bids to host 2029 World Athletics Championship.

Hopefully 🤞🏻 we get this. All the best to Us. pic.twitter.com/hZz0h6Oig7

— Evangeline Mukua. (@mukua_karimi) November 11, 2024

“We are at risk of not being able to host or send any of our sportsmen for international competitions because the Agency cannot carry out its regular testing activities both in competition and out of competition,” the chairman told journalists in Nairobi.

Winning the bid would make Kenya the first African nation to host the championship event. Murkomen also announced a significant boost in funding for Athletics Kenya (AK) camps, with plans to triple the budget allocation to foster talent for international competitions.

Meanwhile, Kenya has had hundreds of athletes suspended for doping, whereabouts failures, tampering and missing three tests in 12 months. If the government refuses to fund anti-doping, especially considering its major doping issue, Kenya and Athletics Kenya should not be winning a bid to host a future World Athletics Championships.

What is with the flip flop on money?

On March 23, 2023, the government of Kenya through the Ministry of Sport pledged US $5 million per year in additional funding to tackle the doping issue. The strategy was to restore the reputation of athletics in Kenya and to help beat the doping menace. Fifteen months later, the government reneged on the deal.

According to the publication, Hungary Today, the cost to host the 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships was estimated to be €133 million. In 2021, Inside the Games, published an article estimating the cost of putting on the Eugene and Budapest World Athletics Championships would be less, but still way off budget for the East African nation.

“World Athletics say an initial event budget is around $70 million (£51 million/€57 million) to $80 million (£59 million/€65 million) but will vary according to local conditions and costs.”

Doping is not the only issue

Doping is one major issue in Kenya. Another is alleged age cheating. In August 2024 World Athletics and the Athletics Integrity Unit began an investigation into age cheating. No results from the apparent investigation have been reported to date. In addition to potential age cheating, Kenya is experiencing domestic violence. Agnes Tirop’s death rocked the athletics world in 2021. She was found stabbed to death. She died at the hands of her husband. The dispute was over property ownership.

In September 2024, marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei was set on fire by her boyfriend. They both suffered severe burns. She died in hospital.

Kipyegon Bett, age 26 died in October in the hospital due to severe liver and kidney damage.

Shortly after Bett’s death was announced, steeplechaser Clement Kemboi was found dead. Kemboi was discovered hanging from a tree at St. Patrick’s High School farm.

There continues to be mystery surrounding the single-vehicle accident that killed world marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum. The question remains about whether he was being chased at the time.

Beijing Olympic marathon champion and former Olympic record holder Sammy Wanjiru’s death was even more mysterious, as he was known to drink heavily and had alleged domestic disputes with his wife.

ESPN shed light on Wanjiru’s lifestyle. While some suggest that he committed suicide, others suspect murder.

“It’s hard for him to go home anymore. In Kenya, the average farmer makes $736 annually. The gap between its rich and poor is one of the widest in the world. A line forms outside the gates of his mansion in Nyahururu early in the morning, and by mid-afternoon, it’s around the block. Charity seekers, job hunters, fans, religious freaks. No wonder so many star athletes move out of their villages. At first, he thought it would be fun to stick around and act like a king. Not anymore.”

Kenya cannot afford the potential risk of creating white elephants by hosting a World Championships. Certainly, until they get their house in order, there should be no championships awarded to the beleaguered nation.

The fact that Kenya has not been banned from international competition (so that they can get their house in order) is a mystery, stranger than Wanjiru’s death.