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{
    "id": 646978,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/646978/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 247,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Elachi",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13115,
        "legal_name": "Beatrice Elachi",
        "slug": "beatrice-elachi"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, I support this Bill. I thank the Senate Majority Leader and his deputy for ensuring that the Bill is brought before this House. This is a Bill to provide for the implementation of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Convention against Doping in Sports. We thank God for the young talented sportsmen in this country. However, there is an emergence of coaches from Europe who are in a competing spree. They are using different supplements to ensure boosting in sporting activities. Therefore, we have experienced challenges on the use of these substances. The athletes use them without knowing their effects. We should create awareness on the use of these substances and the effects of doping. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, we need to look at the penalties that we have put in place. This is a Bill that we are domesticating from international law. Therefore, most of the amendments will be done after it is enacted. We should look at the established agency and how it will run its activities vis-à-vis the authorities that are established in the sports sector. This is to avoid overlapping mandates among these authorities. Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, how shall we penalise a person who comes to our country to coach and abet doping? This has caused many athletes to be banned for things that they did not know. We have to encourage the country to draft a Bill to ensure that our mechanisms protect our sportsmen. Weightlifting and boxing are areas where substances are abused because of the nature of the sport. In the administration and enforcement regime under Clause 26, there are many issues that have been raised. Clause (g) is on trafficking or attempted trafficking in any prohibited substances or prohibited methods. We do not need trafficking of substances that are used for doping. Our sportsmen are earning from sports and we need to protect them. Lastly, I support Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale on the establishment of the Anti-Doping Agency headquarters in the Rift-Valley and especially in Iten, Elgeyo-Marakwet County."
}