Senate majority leader Aron Cheruiyot is proposing a stringent measure to curb doping menace in the country to ensure that Kenyans run clean and regain the global reputation the country has been enjoying.
He said that the current trend of Kenyan athletes found doping is alarming, advising the newly appointed cabinet secretary for sports Ababu Namwamba to deal with it.
The late Athletics Kenya president Isaiah Kiplagat in 2015, suspended Rosa and Associates stable run by Dr. Gabrielle Rosa and Gerard Van de Veen of Volare Sports.
Athletes who have been banned at Rosa stable include, three-time Boston marathon winner Rita Jeptoo, two-time world champion Asbel Kiprop and the 2016 Olympic marathon champion Jemima Sumgong while at Volare Sports include Wilson Kipsang.
“Doping is one of the biggest issues that the new CS has to deal with, the fact that we reach a point where all our athletes will be screened more thoroughly than anybody else in the world. It is very terrible because it means that the glory that Kenya has enjoyed will be put in question and doubt because the world will see us as good at doping. That is really unfortunate,” said Cheruiyot.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot competes in the 21km Race at the Nairobi Stanchart Marathon. Photo: Courtesy
He said that the CS should also take on the agents in the country who are misleading young athletes by trying to show them the easier way into the global stage yet it is known that there are no easier routes to success and one has to sweat it out.
“As a country, we must re-register afresh these agents. Those that have been found to have athletes that have doped must be banned from this country because those are the people responsible for the mess that we find ourselves in,” he said.
Kenyan athletes are managed by top world ranking managers who rarely come to the county but he was optimistic that as much as it may be difficult to arrest them, they have representatives and offices in this country.
“That is where we begin by banning the organization such that they are never allowed to operate in this country whether that person will be found out or be arrested if they are in the country, if they are within the borders of Kenya then they need to be arrested. If they are outside, I am sure they have operation offices, those are the people that will crack the weapon to ensure that such organizations are not allowed to operate within our country,” he said.
Kiplagat axed the two agents (Rosa and Associates Volare Sports) from working with Kenyan athletes for six months as investigations were carried out on doping allegations and related vices.
Kiplagat took the drastic step when he went after the two biggest stables in the country when he said, ‘In fact for agents it’s easier, because if you’re the one who injected or found to have been contributing towards persuading the athletes to take banned substances, that’s a criminal offence.
AK also went ahead and banned Keringet Athletics Camp in Nakuru County, which was the development ground for youth and junior athletes.
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