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{
    "id": 660607,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/660607/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 133,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Murkomen",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 440,
        "legal_name": "Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen",
        "slug": "kipchumba-murkomen"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I stand here to congratulate this House for the work we did last time in so far as this Bill is concerned. I want to congratulate the Senate because many people have said that this House cannot rise to the occasion especially when things are supposed to be passed expeditiously, but within a span of less than six hours, we dealt with this Bill having been advised that it could not be changed--- I remember certain Members suggesting that certain things need to be put in place and we were advised that we did not have to change anything because the advice of the institution that is oversighting matters related to sports, that is WADA, needed the Bill as it was. I agree with the incoming governor of Mombasa, Sen. Hassan, that we were either duped or doped. We did it in good faith because we wanted to ensure that our athletes are not locked out from the competition in Rio and other places. The arena of sports is very competitive but our athletes are doing well. As I have said before, there is an assumption that doing well is automatic. People do not understand that these athletes put a lot of time and effort in personal training with very little support from the Government. They put a lot of effort in training including running in the morning, at night and during the day. I know this because world champions like Japheth Kimutai and William Chirchir are people I know. I know that these are men and women who do not sleep. They wake up at 4.00 a.m. in the cold of Iten to go and run. They put in every effort to ensure that they succeed. I am sure that there are bad elements through collusion from coaches or men and women who pretend to be coaches and yet they teach our youth bad habits. Most of these youths have no knowledge about doping. They have no access to these drugs. The real drivers of doping are foreigners. Therefore, our athletes need protection. There is a moral hazard that since there is a benefit for the person coaching and even there is a higher benefit if the athlete wins - they are the ones who, without the knowledge of the athletes mislead them to use certain drugs as treatment for muscles or as part of the good menu. Ultimately, their intention is to get money if the athlete is going to win. It is important for us to rise to the occasion and provide a clear legal framework that is acceptable globally to protect our athletes. Actually, using drugs or doping is cheating. This is a culture that we must get out of in our country. It is the same mentality that leads to corruption, rigging elections and so on. The most important thing is to deal with our moral values as a country to ensure that we adopt the strategy of winning fairly. There is something that we can learn from our athletes. When they compete, they do not think about their tribes and so on. There is a time last year, we went for the world champions and 70 per cent of the gold medals came from a small circumference in my county but it did not feel as such to any Kenyan. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate"
}