Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka has recalled senators for a special sitting to be held on December 29, 2020.
According to the notice issued by Speaker Lusaka, the house is scheduled to discuss the Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill 2020.
“Notice is given to all Senators that pursuant to standing order 30 of the Senate Standing Orders, on the request of the Senate Majority Leader, with the support of the requisite number of Senators, I have appointed Tuesday, 29th December 2020 as a day for a special sitting of the Senate.
“The sitting shall be held in the Senate Chamber, Main Parliament Buildings, Nairobi, commencing at 10.00 a.m. The business to be transacted at the sitting shall be the consideration of the Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, National Assembly Bills No. 51 of 2020,” the gazette notice issued December 26 by Senate Speaker, Kenneth Lusaka, announced.
The Bill was already passed by the National Assembly on December 22 before the house went for recess.
If the Senate passes the Amendment Bill on Tuesday, it will provide a framework to deal with doping among athletes.
The objective of the bill is to align the Anti-Doping Act 2016 with the 2021 Anti-doping Code and Regulations so as to allow Kenyan athletes to continue to participate in local, regional and international sports.
The bill proposes that samples taken from an athlete shall be analyzed at an accredited laboratory or a laboratory otherwise approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency to detect prohibited substances or its metabolites and markets.
In the same breath, the agency will be required to appoint anti-doping compliance officers with the objective of providing an enhanced framework for the same offices
If the bill is passed, the powers of the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) will have further clarity such that the agency will be the only organization that will be permitted to carry out anti-doping activities in Kenya as well as to enforce the provisions of the Act.
The agency shall also be recognized by all national and international sports federations and organizations.
The bill seeks to introduce a statement on the independence of the agency and the committee from any undue influence.
In the proposed law, the agency and committee are independent of any influence from sports and government as well as any person involved in the management and operation of any sports federations and the National Olympic committee, in the conduct of its anti-doping activities.
2017 world champion in 1500m, Elijah Manangoi is the latest elite Kenyan athlete to be banned by the Integrity Athletics Unit (AIU), joining a list of Kenyan athletes who have been sanctioned in recent years, including former marathon world record holder Wilson Kipsang, 2008 Olympic 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop, 2017 London Marathon champion Daniel Wanjiru, former Boston and Chicago Marathon winner Rita Jeptoo and 2016 Olympic marathon champion Jemimah Sumgong.
