A crisis is looming at the Anti-doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK), which is struggling financially due to steep budget cuts.
The agency’s chairman Daniel Makdwallo complained on Tuesday, September 17 during a press conference that budget cuts effected by the National Treasury for the financial year 2024/25 had resulted in the agency’s allocation being slashed by a whopping Ksh 208 million.
According to Makdwallo , the agency had only been allocated Ksh 20 million – a figure he categorically stated was insufficient. The amount is supposed to cater for all the agency’s operations, including administering doping tests on athletes.
“There is a concern which I thought prudent to point out,” the outgoing chairman lamented. “This financial year 2024/25, the Agency has not been allocated funding to undertake its core mandate programs (i.e. testing, education, results management and I & I).”
Outgoing AJAK board chairman Daniel Makdwallo at a past press conference. PHOTO/ILMARK ATHLETICS CLUB.
“This move has grounded the Agency and we are not able to fulfill our obligations hence risking non-compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code. This could easily make the country lose the gains we have made so far. I urge the National Treasury to reconsider this funding gap and reinstate the budget for the Agency in order to protect Kenyan athletes,”
Why it matters: The latest announcement by he ADAK chairman now puts Kenya at risk of facing sanctions from the World Anti-doping Agency, since the country is a signatory to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) anti-doping code.
Part of the reason the ADAK is in a tight financial spot is because the agency cannot source for funds from alternative sources due to a possible conflict of interest from other possible sponsors.
The agency has to solely rely on the government as this is paramount and necessary in order to ensure integrity is maintained.
The government had earlier pledged over Ksh 600 million (USD 5 million) to the agency to go towards testing athletes for the next five years.
ADAK plays a critical role in the fight against doping. In the build-up to the Paris Olympics, the body oversaw the testing of more than 1,500 athletes.
Meanwhile, Makdwallo confirmed his tenure as the ADAK chair was coming to an end bringing his eventful stint at the helm of the body to a close.
A photo of the AJAK emblem. PHOTO/AJAK
