Kenya’s anti-doping campaign in limbo due to lack of funding

The Anti-Doping Agency has not been allocated money by the National Treasury, even after the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) showered praises on the Anti Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) for its relentless fight against the vice in the country.

The National Assembly Committee on Sports and Culture was informed the National Treasury gave the ADAK and the Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) zero budgetary allocation for the coming year, 2024/25.

Speaking when he appeared before the Committee chaired by Webuye West MP Dan Wanyama, Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum said the budget cuts by the Treasury will adversely affect the agency’s operations.

“The  ADAK has only Sh. 10 million appropriation in aid cash. This is the first time the Agency has been starved off cash by the Treasury,” Tum told the meeting that was reviewing the Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2024/25.

He noted that ADAK plays a critical role in the fight against doping, adding that failure to allocate them money will cripple the entity.

Tum asked for the Committee’s intervention to ensure that they Semi Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs) are given a budgetary allocation for by the Treasury.

He pointed out that the SAGAs faced budget cuts  by the National Treasury without involving the Agencies.

Tum told the Committee that a surge in doping  cases has tarnished the reputation of Kenya as an athletics powerhouse.

“ADAK was on the right track in the fight against doping. The agency cannot win the war without adequate funding,” said the PS.

The Committee said a decision by the National Treasury to starve the Sports Ministry of money derailed implementation of key projects.

“From the reports tabled before the Committee, we can confirm that the Treasury is a stumbling block to efforts by the Ministry to implement its development plan and funding of other sports activities,” said the chairperson, Wanyama.

He added: “We are concerned that some officers at the National Treasury are operating with a lot of impunity. It will not be business as usual for them.”

The Committee was told that the National Treasury had reduced the Sports Ministry’s recurrent budget by 30 per cent and increased development budget by Kshs.559.2 million.

He added that doping has been a huge challenge among  athletes, noting that budget cuts is a major setback to the efforts to deal with the vice.

Caroli Omondi said that the National Treasury had no powers to deny any SAGA money.

“The law compels National Treasury to appropriate money to any entity created by the Act of Parliament annually as per their budget. What the National Treasury is doing is illegal and unacceptable,” said Omondi.

Nominated MP Jackson Kosgei said it was wrong for the Treasury to slash the budget of the SAGAs or deny them money without involving them.