Rwanda last week gained a seat in the Africa Zone V Regional Anti-Doping Organization (RADO) following the appointment of Dr Bosco Mpatswenumugabo who will be the Deputy Head of Africa Zone V Regional Anti-Doping Organization (RADO) Education Committee.

The appointment saw the 38-year-old become the first Rwandan to take up any position at an anti-doping organization affiliated under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

"The focus is currently on educating athletes about anti-doping than testing because prevention is better than cure. That’s why this committee is considered among the most powerful because it is regarded as the engine of anti-doping globally. So I am so excited to be part of it,” he said.

Before assuming the position, Mpatswenumugabo served as the Head of Medical and Anti-doping Commission at the Rwanda National Olympic Committee (RNOSC).

He is an Orthopedic surgeon at King Faisal Hospital.

He said that representing Rwanda at the committee will open various opportunities and benefits for the country as far as anti-doping is concerned.

"There were some opportunities that Rwanda would miss out due to lack of information and I think being part of the committee is a big boost for the country to access important information on time,” he vowed.

The Regional Anti- Doping Organisation (RADO ZONE VI) was established in 2006 by National Olympic Committees and government representatives from the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) with the assistance of the World Anti- Doping Agency (WADA) with a core mission to promote and co-ordinate the fight against doping in sports in all its forms in the region.

Rwanda is among 11 county members of Africa Zone V RADO alongside Burundi, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Gambia and Uganda.

The committee’s main tasks include drafting a policy on education vis-à-vis with anti-doping practice, identifying key areas that need to be strengthened and working hand-in-hand with Africa Zone V RADO country members towards a successful implementation of anti-doping policy.

According to RNOSC president Valens Munyabagisha, the appointment of Mpatswenumugabo is a big deal for Rwanda as he hopes the country looks forward to benefiting a lot from having a seat at the Africa Zone V RADO.

Munyabagisha said having a seat in the anti-doping committee at the regional level will help Rwanda mobilise support for different initiatives that have a connection with anti-doping.

"This is an important thing for Rwanda because our players will be more equipped with skills about doping to avoid the risks of disqualification from competitions while Rwanda can also benefit from different projects aimed at ensuring a world of sport free of doping,” he said.

The state of anti-doping in Rwanda

So many athletes have been banned from participating in international competitions over doping and Rwanda has been no exception.

In March 2016, the Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO) slapped a 4-year ban on Rwandan Olympian Robert Kajuga for refusing a doping test.

 The ban saw the long-distance runner miss out on participating at any of the competitions recognised by the International Association of the Athletics Federation (IAAF).

 Kajuga’s disqualification came as a wakeup call for the Olympic Committee which has since started sensitization programmes about doping tests to ensure that local athletes are ready to be tested any time.

Although Rwanda doesn’t have a National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO), Munyanagisha said his office briefs athletes about anti-doping before they go to participate at international competitions.

"We don’t have standard tools to operate doping tests due to lack of resources to afford them. What we do is to educate athletes about anti-doping so they don’t risk being disqualified from a given competition due to doping with or without will,” Munyabagisha said.

In 2019, Rwanda organised a ‘successful anti-doping camp’ extension as a side event during the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) Zone V Youth Games held in Huye.