The Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2026
Status Timeline
Proposed
Active now
Public Review
Pending
Debate
Pending
Executive
Pending
Final
Pending
Alignment with the World Anti-Doping Code
The Bill updates key definitions under Section 2 of the principal Act, including "doping", "doping control", "national-level athlete", and "recreational athlete". It also inserts a comprehensive definition for "possession", clarifying what constitutes constructive possession and creating an exception for individuals who voluntarily renounce and return prohibited substances before receiving any official notification.
Guaranteed Independence for ADAK
Section 9 is amended to explicitly safeguard the operational independence of the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK). To eliminate conflicts of interest, the Bill prohibits anyone involved in the management or operations of sports organizations, national Olympic/Paralympic committees, or sports-related government departments from participating in the operational activities of the Agency.
Expanded Search, Seizure, and Arrest Powers
The Bill enhances the enforcement capabilities of authorized anti-doping compliance officers under Section 30. Officers are empowered to:
- Enter and search premises, vessels, or vehicles where prohibited substances are suspected to be stored.
- Seize and detain prohibited substances, equipment, and records.
- Arrest individuals suspected of committing offences under the Act without a warrant, subject to handing them over to a police station without undue delay.
Stricter Penalties for Doping Offences
The Bill dramatically raises penalties under Section 42 and Section 43:
- General Penalty: Increased to a fine of not less than KSh 1 million, imprisonment for at least one year, or both.
- Unlawful Administration/Trafficking: Managing, supplying, or administering prohibited substances carries a fine of not less than KSh 5 million, imprisonment of not less than five years, or both. Corporate bodies face the withdrawal of their trading licenses for at least one year.
- Medical Practitioners: Doctors, pharmacists, or other health professionals who unlawfully prescribe or dispense prohibited substances face a fine of not less than KSh 5 million, at least five years in prison, and immediate professional license revocation for at least one year.
- Recreational Athletes: Violators in gyms or fitness centers face a fine of not less than KSh 1 million, up to three years' imprisonment, or both.
Streamlined Dispute and Appeals Pipeline
The Bill restructures the dispute resolution process under Section 31. Doping violations involving national and international-level athletes will first be heard and determined by the Sports Disputes Tribunal. Parties aggrieved by the Tribunal's decisions can appeal to the Continental Results Management Panel, with a final right of appeal to the international Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland.
Bill No.
No. 66 of 2026
Gazette No.
Supplement No. 237 of 2026
Sponsor
Daniel Wanyama
Background
Kenya is a state party to the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sport. To address emerging global challenges, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) revised the World Anti-Doping Code, with the updates scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027. The Anti-Doping (Amendment) Bill, 2026 serves to amend the Anti-Doping Act (Cap. 245B) to ensure Kenya's domestic legal, regulatory, and policy frameworks are fully aligned with the revised Code before it takes effect.
Key Amendments
- Scope and Application (Section 3): The Act is expanded to explicitly apply to all athletes and athlete support personnel (whether or not they are minors) who are members of sports organisations, clubs, associations, or leagues in Kenya, as well as sports organisations, fitness centres, and gyms.
- ADAK Functions (Section 7): Clearly defines the administrative and operational duties of ADAK, including planning and executing testing, designing education programs, gathering anti-doping intelligence, and conducting results management.
- CEO Qualifications (Section 17): Increases the competitive recruitment requirements for the Chief Executive Officer, raising the minimum required post-qualification working experience in sports or administration from five years to fifteen years.
- Dispute Cascade (Sections 31 & 32): Directs initial proceedings to the Sports Disputes Tribunal, establishes an intermediate appeal mechanism via the Continental Results Management Panel, and designates the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as the final appellate body.
- Consequential Amendment: Amends Section 58 of the Sports Act (Cap. 223) to recognize anti-doping rule violations under the Anti-Doping Act.
New Obligations
- Compliance Audits: ADAK is empowered to conduct compliance audits of sports organisations to monitor adherence to the Anti-Doping Rules. Sports organisations must ensure their internal rules, constitutions, and policies expressly incorporate the Anti-Doping Rules.
- Sponsors and Event Organizers: Sponsors and event organizers must guarantee that an anti-doping program is integrated into every sporting event or competition they fund or host.
- Athletes and Support Personnel: Athletes must make themselves available for both in-competition and out-of-competition testing at any time or place, with or without advance notice. Athlete support personnel are obligated to use their influence to foster anti-doping attitudes among sportspeople.
Penalties
- Failure to Comply with Orders (Section 42(1)): Disobeying ADAK summonses, refusing to submit samples, or obstructing compliance officers carries a fine of up to KSh 100,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.
- Trafficking and Administration (Section 42(2)): Unlawfully transporting, stocking, or administering prohibited substances carries a minimum fine of KSh 5 million and a minimum prison sentence of five years. Corporate entities face a minimum one-year withdrawal of their trading licenses.
- Medical Practitioners (Section 42(4)): Any medical professional (including doctors, pharmacists, veterinary surgeons, or herbalists) who prescribes or dispenses prohibited substances with the intent to dope faces a fine of not less than KSh 5 million, a minimum of five years' imprisonment, and revocation of their professional practice license for at least one year.
- Gyms and Fitness Centres (Section 42(3)): Doping infractions inside gyms, fitness centres, or private clubs carry fines of not less than KSh 1 million and up to three years' imprisonment.
- Sanctions on Sports Bodies (Section 42(5)): Sports bodies violating rules face reprimands, withdrawal of public funding from the Sports Fund, or deregistration by the Sports Registrar.
Transitional Provisions
- Pending Cases: Any active disciplinary proceedings or anti-doping rule violations pending before the Sports Disputes Tribunal or other bodies prior to the commencement of this Act shall continue to be resolved under the terms of the principal Act.
- Existing Exemptions: All therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) granted prior to the enactment of this Bill will remain valid until their designated expiry dates or subsequent revocation.
- Registered Testing Pool: The Registered Testing Pool established under the previous Section 25 remains valid and is carried over under the new Anti-Doping Rules.
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