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Kenya doping bill to be in parliament next Tuesday

Xinhua, March 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Kenya government-sponsored Anti-Doping Bill will be tabled and debated on the floor of the country' s Parliament next Tuesday, according National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi.

On Thursday Muturi rallied lawmakers to pass the Bill in order to beat the April 5 deadline set by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for compliance to avert a possible ban for Kenya' s track and field athletes from international competition.

The Speaker made the announcement in Parliament on Thursday with fears mounting the law will not be enacted in time to avert the deadline with house going to recess a week from now.

Parliament had called a briefing on the Anti-Doping Law but it had to be cancelled following President Uhuru Kenyatta' s address to the nation in the afternoon, prompting Muturi to tell the House.

At the same time, lawmaker Wesley Korir, who had tabled another proposed law to tackle the vice that was approved by the Parliamentary Departmental Committee on Labour and Social Services for debate in House, conceded the government proposal had carried the day.

"No matter which one it is, we will combine the two at the third reading. Mine was approved by the committee and was waiting Speaker' s approval. I' m told the Ministry has submitted their version of the Bill. My bill is going to act as an amendment to the Government Bill and I' m happy with the new development," he told Citizen TV.

"I have learnt the government has powers and they can do what they please. The people of Cherangany (his constituents) did not vote for me to politicize anti-doping," he added.

Korir' s draft differs with that sponsored by government through its Ministry of Sport, Culture and Arts that has input of WADA over the constitution of the Anti-Doping Association of Kenya and punishment to be handed to those found guilty of the vice among other things.

A fortnight ago, the Parliamentary Departmental Committee of Labour and Social Welfare promised to fast track the Anti-Doping Bill of 2015. Endit