Kenya’s doping fight improving, but more work needed ahead of 2029 Worlds: Coe

Sebastian Coe addressed the media in Nairobi on Wednesday as Kenya prepared to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships. | Photo Credit: AFP

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said Kenya is making progress in tackling doping but warned that considerable work remains as Nairobi prepares to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, the first edition to be staged in Africa.

Speaking to reporters in Nairobi on Wednesday, Coe said increased government support and improvements in testing had strengthened the country’s anti-doping efforts, although several challenges remain.

More than 140 Kenyan athletes, many of them long-distance runners, have been sanctioned for doping offences since the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) was established in 2017, raising concerns about the country’s record despite its success in international athletics.

“Look, we’re making progress,” Coe said, acknowledging that improvements had been uneven. He added that he had previously urged the Kenyan government to increase funding to address the issue.

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The two-time Olympic 1500m champion credited the establishment of the independent AIU, one of the reforms introduced after he became World Athletics president in 2015, with strengthening the sport’s anti-doping measures.

Coe said testing had become more extensive, intensive and intelligence-led compared to the previous system, improving the ability to detect violations.

He acknowledged that doping could never be eliminated entirely but maintained that athletics was in a stronger position to combat the problem than it had been a decade ago.

Coe also believes hosting the 2029 World Championships will bring greater attention to Kenya’s anti-doping efforts. He said reports from the AIU indicated progress but stressed that the country still had significant ground to cover.

Nairobi was awarded hosting rights in September, having previously lost its bid to stage the 2025 edition to Tokyo.

The Kenyan capital has hosted the World U18 Championships in 2017 and the World U20 Championships in 2021. The 2029 event will mark the senior championships’ debut on African soil.