WADA in Nairobi: Bańka and Younger tell Kenya to stay clean ahead of the 2029 World Championships

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) spent three days in Kenya this week, with one message running through every meeting: the country that will host the 2029 World Athletics Championships must be clean as well as fast.

WADA president Witold Bańka arrived on Sunday 4 October and was met at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi. With him was Rodney Swigelaar, director of WADA's Africa office. Over the next two days the delegation met President William Ruto, Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK), the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, athletes and law enforcement officers. It also reviewed ADAK's governance, its strategic plan and how closely it follows the World Anti-Doping Code.

What WADA asked of Kenya

Bańka called Kenya the home of distance running, but said that for that home to remain respected and credible, "it must also be clean". According to the Eastleigh Voice, WADA asked Kenya to:

• give ADAK the support it needs while protecting its independence;
• put more weight on prevention and on protecting clean athletes, not only on testing and punishment;
• keep its laws in line with the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code, which takes effect in the coming months;
• make sure sample collectors and testing managers are properly trained.

Bańka also spoke about people who smuggle performance-enhancing drugs into Kenya, saying they destroy the careers of innocent athletes, and called for a multi-agency team to stop them. "We want zero tolerance to doping," he said, adding that he believes Kenya will soon be a role model for the rest of the continent. Mvurya said the visit came at the right time, and that Kenya is amending its laws to match WADA's framework.

Younger: go after the suppliers, not just the athletes

Günter Younger, WADA's Director of Intelligence and Investigations, explained how the agency's approach is changing. WADA wants to break up the networks that make, supply and distribute banned drugs, including coaches, doctors, suppliers and traffickers, rather than focusing only on athletes. He described athletes as "the weakest and most vulnerable people in this industry".

Anti-doping bodies can interview athletes and gather intelligence, but they have few powers to pursue wider supply chains. That is why the strategy depends on working with police and other agencies through WADA's Global Anti-Doping Intelligence and Investigations Network. Kenya hosted one of its workshops, which brought together eight organisations, including investigators and immigration officials, alongside ADAK and WADA.

"The infrastructure is here, the people are here, there is a willingness to work together," Younger said, according to Mozzart Sport. He said he hopes Kenya becomes a regional model for intelligence-led anti-doping work within two years.

Why it matters

The visit comes seven months after WADA took ADAK off its compliance watchlist in February 2026, closing a case that began with a 2024 audit. In 2025 WADA warned that ADAK was falling short of the code. A non-compliance ruling could have cost Kenya WADA funding and the right to host major international events. Kenya has since won the right to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, and anti-doping in Kenya will face closer scrutiny as the event approaches.