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LONDON :Kenya's anti-doping agency ADAK will move onto WADA's watch list in an easing of the non-compliant status announced last month, the world's body's director general Olivier Niggli said on Thursday.
ADAK was warned in September of serious consequences unless the East African nation addressed critical requirements following an audit carried out in May last year.
"By going onto the watch list from non-compliance means that we're going to make sure that everything gets implemented and we're going to see what they do for about six months now watching closely," Niggli told Reuters at a World Anti-Doping Agency media briefing.
"Make sure that the promises they made, the investment they promised, is coming to place," he added.
Niggli recognised "Kenya is complicated" and said the issue was around ADAK not doing enough testing and lacking the staff to carry it out effectively.
While not expecting change to come overnight, he warned that non-compliance remained a threat for the future with concern about recent ways of operating.
"Challenges such as whereabouts and so on will remain, because simply there's no address to find the athlete... but at least we're going to do as much as we can," he added.
"We all have to be realistic about the temptation for athletes in Kenya, who by getting into the world level of sport - mostly in athletics - can make money that put them and their family safe for the rest of their lives.
"The temptation is very high, meaning we have to be even more vigilant."
Kenya's women's marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich was banned for three years last week after she admitted to anti-doping rule violations.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said last month that things had improved in Kenya over the past year after previously being described as the 'Wild West' for doping.
However, including Chepngetich, 20 Kenyans have been banned by the AIU so far in 2025.
WADA president Witold Banka told Reuters television the Kenyan government had made a strong declaration that it would spend more on anti-doping programmes.
"If they don't address this thing properly they are going to be non-compliant (again) with the very serious consequences, so they have a time now to improve the situation," he said.
"But of course it's clear that there is a serious problem with doping in Kenya and it requires very strong action from the government side."
Banka said consequences would include being barred from hosting international and continental events and flying the flag abroad.
