The Anti-doping Agency of Kenya is in a financial crisis occasioned by steep budget cuts, a House Committee has been told.
ADAK CEO Sarah Shibutse told the Sports and Culture Committee of the National Assembly that the agency is in the red due to huge budget cuts by the National Treasury.
"Operations by ADAK have been crippled due to underfunding by the National Treasury," Shibutse told the Naomi Waqo-led committee.
Shibutse told the committee their landlord has served them with an eviction notice over rent arrears defaulted since July.
“Internet has been disconnected. We are in a dire situation,” she lamented.
The CEO told the committee that the agency has also been struggling to pay staff salaries, noting that the situation was getting out of hand.
Shibutse explained that ADAK's funding through the National Treasury has been reduced to only Sh20 million.
"The net effect of this budget cut is to cripple the agency," she warned.
She added that failure by the agency to effectively discharge its mandate will attract the wrath of the World Anti Doping Authority (WADA) which will declare Kenya noncompliant.
"The ramifications of a declaration of non-compliance by WADA means that no Kenyan athlete will be eligible to participate in any international competitions".
Further, she added that Kenya will not be allowed to host any international events including but not limited to CHAN and AFCON.
She added that the agency is mandated to conduct doping tests of Kenyan rugby and volleyball players set to take part in upcoming international competitions but lack of funds will hinder the process.
"We don't have money to test national football team players who will also take part in CHAN," she said.
The CEO told the committee that the agency requires more than Sh50,000 to conduct a doping test of a single player.
The committee said it will seek mechanisms of having the Sports Fund disburse money to the agency to give it a lifeline. "The committee has noted with concern grave matters raised by the CEO. We will seek ways of having the Sports Fund support the Agency financially," said Waqo.