Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has defended Kenya’s successful bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships, brushing off doping allegations raised by critics.
Speaking in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, during the breakfast launch of the Mashujaa Day Sporting Tournament, Murkomen dismissed the claims, maintaining that the government remains transparent in its fight against anti-doping violations.
“The issue has been brought out because we are a very serious country when it comes to doping.
We do not hide anything,” he said, adding that law enforcement and sports authorities continue to crack down on pharmacists involved in doping-related activities.
How Kenya’s Historic Bid Unfolded Recounting the origins of Kenya’s successful 2029 bid, which will mark the first time the senior World Athletics Championships takes place on the African continent, Murkomen revealed that the project initially seemed like a long shot.
He recalled that in November 2024, during his tenure as Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Athletics Kenya President Lt.
(Rtd) Jackson Tuwei approached him with the proposal.
“When I was Cabinet Secretary for Sports in November 2024, General Tuwei came to me and said we want to host the World Athletics Championships, and it looked like it was a joke,” Murkomen said.
Tuwei subsequently requested formal authorization to move forward.
“So he asked me to do the letter.
I wrote the letter, signed, and approved they can bid,” Murkomen recalled.
Before finalizing the proposal, Murkomen sought approval from President William Ruto.
“Even though I had....
