Kenya has missed a deadline to prove to the World Anti-Doping Agency it is tackling cheating in athletics.
It comes after a spate of positive drugs tests among the country’s athletes and fresh allegations of corruption.
Kenya has not been able to provide the assurances that the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) is seeking and will be placed on a ‘watch-list’ of nations at risk of breaching the agency’s code.
The East African country, whose athletes are dominant in distance running, will be given two months to bring in new legislation and funding, or automatically be declared non-compliant with Wada.
That could mean a possible ban from the Olympics, which take place later this year in Brazil, and other major events.
A Wada statement said while “some progress has been made” with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya, there is “still a lot of work required”.
It said that, following a series of questions to Kenyan authorities, it had not received the assurances it needed.
“This is now a matter for our independent compliance process,” it said.
How bad is it?
Kenya topped the medal table at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing with seven gold medals.
But the country has become mired in doping and bribery allegations.
Since 2011, more than 40 of its athletes have failed drugs tests:
As of January 2016, 18 Kenyan athletes were suspended for doping;
Those 18 athletes are serving bans totalling 55 years;
The best known is Rita Jeptoo, who has won the Boston and Chicago marathons;
Lilian Moraa Mariita was given the longest ban – eight years for taking steroids.
Three senior officials at governing body Kenya Athletics have also been suspended following accusations they were involved in corruption linked to Doha’s successful bid for the 2019 World Championships.
Both officials, and the Qatar campaign team, deny any wrongdoing.
The Kenyan government told the BBC it was taking the threat of doping “very seriously” and said its newly established national anti-doping organisation would soon be operational.
Why has Wada take action now?
For several months, Wada has been trying to persuade Kenya to set up an effective national agency so more drug tests can be conducted, but progress has been slow.
Legislation has yet to be passed by the Kenyan parliament and proposed annual funding of 500m Kenyan shillings (£3.5m) is still to be released.
A taskforce met with Kenyan officials in Nairobi last week and asked for certain assurances by Thursday.
But Kenya has now been referred to Wada’s compliance committee.
David Howman, Wada’s director general, said “a fully functional” anti-doping agency is “a vital step for a country of Kenya’s sporting stature” if it is to “effectively protect clean athletes”.
He said it must be established “at the earliest opportunity”.
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By: BBC