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{
    "id": 1043802,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1043802/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 149,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kipipiri, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Amos Kimunya",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 174,
        "legal_name": "Amos Muhinga Kimunya",
        "slug": "amos-kimunya"
    },
    "content": " Hon. Speaker, I beg to move that the Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bill No.51 of 2020) be read a Second Time. As Members, we appreciate that Kenya is a great sporting nation. Kenya has been at the forefront in supporting the anti-doping measures that are applied on a global basis. Moreover, it is in that respect that this House passed the Anti-Doping Act of 2016, which was to provide for anti- doping measures that applied on a global basis. Now, the objective of this Bill is to bring in the Act of 2016 to be in line with the 2021 World Anti-Doping Code and Regulations. Moreover, this will now ensure that Kenya complies with the latest adopted code and facilitates our continued participation of our athletes in both the regional as well as the local and international competitions. As you know, doping or drug cheating in sports has been a major challenge and it is important that we ensure that Kenya's record in sports is not compromised because of not following the international regulations. Hon. Speaker, the code has a five-year cycle because of the dynamic nature of doping and new chemical substances being discovered. The first code was adopted in 2004. It was then changed in 2009, then in 2015 and now it is time for the code to be changed again on a new five-year cycle. Now, the development of the international code is an international effort. Kenya is part of it. It has been taking place and was only agreed internationally as of November. Hence, we now have a situation where we have been told the Olympics will be taking place in Japan, but only countries that will have passed or domesticated the code into their law by amending their anti-doping laws to comply with the new code will be eligible to participate. Now, knowing that we are a great sporting nation, it will be very unfortunate if Kenya was to miss the timeline for action, which is 31st December 2020. Moreover, you can imagine all our athletes - who have been practicing in the Rift Valley and all those who have been practicing down the Coast – and people who have even invested heavily and are representing Kenya in the Olympics, had it not been for COVID-19, that they cannot compete in the Berlin Marathon and in all those events because this House has let them down. It will be very unfortunate. Therefore, that is one of the reasons that we took the decision to recall you before Christmas; before the end of the year. This is so that we can give our athletes the opportunity to compete in the New Year with the new anti-doping code, which will then have been incorporated within our law. Therefore, it is a very important exercise and that is why I decided that even with the mood of the House, at least, for Members to appreciate what we are doing for our athletes. This is because we are a great sporting nation and Kenya sets the pace in terms of the support to the international community. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}