REPUBLIC OF KENYA

PRESSRELEASE

AUGUST7TH2016

SUBJECT:DOPINGALLEGATIONSINTODAYSSUNDAYTIMES

It has come to our attention that the Sunday Times on 7th August, 2016 featured graveallegations
against Major Michael Rotich the fieldandtrackmanagerofKenyasOlympicTeam.Whilethe
details of the expose are under review, the Ministry reads mischief in the article. The story comes
just two days after WADA announced that it has removed Kenya from its noncompliant lista
move which vindicated Kenyas commitment to ensuring doping plays no part in our sports and
athletics.

Moreover, this is not the firsttimethatsuchallegationshavebeenlevelledagainstKenyanAthletes

during the Olympic period. In 2012 the ARD published a similar story, just ahead of the London
Olympics.Yettodate,noneoftheallegationstheymadethenhavebeensubstantiated.

Last month,theARDandSundayTimescollaboratedinthepublicationofyetanotherdopingstory.
In good faith, Kenya promptly launched investigations into that expose which are, even now,
underway. However, based ontheevidencecollectedthusfar,thereisreasontobelievethatthetwo
publications may have coerced unscrupulous individuals into forging documents and falsifying
information on doping among Kenyan and International athletes.Todaysstory,leadsustowonder
why the Sunday Times withheld such serious information from the relevant Kenyan authorities,
thereby jeopardising investigations. Their motivations in releasing todays story, are therefore
suspect.

As a country, Kenya has had its share of allegations andrumours.AthleticsKenyahascomeunder

extreme scrutiny and in some instances, individuals involved in doping have been discovered and


punished. We have had a number of drug test failures and a number of athletes are currently
suspended. As a nation, we continue to forge ahead in the fight against rogue individuals bent on
illegalsportingpractices.

Even as we do, however, we take exceptiontothefrivolouslevellingofunsubstantiatedallegations

against our athletes or sports teams. There isastaggeringdifferencebetweenexposingwrongdoing
and casually engaging in the wholesale denigration of a nations legacy. The latter we will not
tolerate.

DopingisacrimeandKenyarecognisesthat.Butthiscrimeexistsatanindividuallevel:itisnota
culturewithinthecountry,norisitendemic,andwithhelpfromtheworldsantidopingauthorities,
weareurgentlyapplyingthefullextentofthelawtodrivethiscrimeoutofKenya.

Our position has been consistent. We have demonstrated our commitment to ensuring competitive
sporting excellence. We have enacted the relevant legislation to deal with doping. We have
established the AntiDoping Agency of Kenya and empowered it to carry out its mandate.And we
have carried out multiple tests on every single member of our Olympics team to ensure that they
willcompleteclean.

It is disheartening that this illtimed story, whose veracity is dubious, comesjustasourOlympians

prepare to compete. These 85 young men and women have trained incredibly hard, and endured
multipledrugtestsfortheopportunitytocompeteontheglobalarena.Weare dismayedateffortsto
discounttheirhardworkandcastdoubtonanyaccomplishmentstheyachieve.

We however urge our clean team to remain strong, steadfast, and undeterred from their ultimate
goalputting forth their best efforts and winning more medals andtrophiesforthemselvesandfor
Kenya. As we havesaidbefore,theyhaveourunwaveringsupportand,wearesure,thegoodwillof
manyreasonablecitizensoftheworld.

Dr.HassanWario
CabinetSecretarySports,CultureandArts.