Anti-doping boost: WADA appoints Kenya’s Shibutse as Africa representative

Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK) CEO Sarah Shibutse has vowed to intensify the  fight against anti-doping cases after being appointed to represent Africa at the WADA National Anti-Doping Organization Expert Advisory Group.

The WADA National Anti-Doping Organization Expert Advisory Group (NADO EAG) is a designated Expert Advisory Group, whose purpose is to review anti-doping issues impacting NADOs and provide guidance and recommendations to WADA on its overall strategies and activities to enhance collaboration with and development of NADOs globally.

“It is a great opportunity to be nominated as one of the African representatives, with the other coming from South Africa, and my focus will be to use the new position to fight anti-doping cases in the country,” an elated Shibutse told People Sports.

Other roles played by NADO include providing expert input on any other issues identified and raised by WADA Management and to independently represent the views of the NADOs and bring them forward to the WADA Foundation Board (Foundation Board).

The other key objectives include representing the views of NADOs at the Foundation Board with positions consulted with NADOs from each region where relevant and possible, reporting decisions and outcomes of the

Foundation Board to the NADOs from each region, reporting the outcomes of the meetings of the NADO EAG to the NADOs from each region, providing expertise to assist with the overall strategic vision of improving the regional and global anti-doping framework and recommending and providing guidance on mechanisms to enhance collaboration and communication between WADA and NADOs.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba lauded Shibutse for her new role saying it was a milestone for Kenya in their continued fight against doping cases.

The NADO EAG is composed of ten members elected by NADOs on a regional basis in accordance with the Election Procedure Rules approved by the WADA Executive Committee. Each of the five Olympic regions (Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania) elects two NADO representatives.

Diversity, including gender balance, should be considered by all NADOs during the nomination and election period.

Each member (including the Chair and Vice-Chair) is elected for a three-year term and can be reelected twice (for a total of nine-years).

Should the NADO that is represented on the NADO EAG no longer fulfill the eligibility criteria defined in the Election Procedure Rules approved by the WADA Executive Committee during the term of office of its representative, or if the representative no longer fulfills the eligibility criteria for candidates defined in the applicable Election Procedure Rules, the NADO representative must step down from the NADO EAG in accordance with the relevant rules from the WADA Statutes and the World Anti-Doping Code.