By Magdalene Mukami
NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – Kenyan athletes may be shut out of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Thursday declared the nation non-compliant.
“The WADA Compliance Review Expert Group (CRC) has made the unanimous recommendation that Kenya be declared non-compliant with immediate effect,” said a statement from WADA.
The decision, which carries great weight with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), might see Kenyan athletes barred from participating in the Summer Olympics this August.
WADA cited issues with Kenya’s legislation, saying it is not in line with the World Anti-Doping Code.
The news was greeted by shock and disbelief, as on April 22 in a bid to see the country participate in the Olympics, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta rushed to sign into law an anti-doping bill.
The East African country is famous for producing long-distance runners, as at last year’s World Championships in Beijing where it scored seven gold medals, though its popularity has recently been tarnished by around 40 doping cases.
Kenya’s possible participation in Rio now hangs by a thread, as it awaits to see whether the Olympic committee and the athletics association follow WADA’s decision with a ban.
