Work on building the centre is due to begin in the Kenyan capital next month and will be constructed with the help of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Athletics Kenya Isaiah Kiplagat has confirmed.

"We are going to build a blood centre in Nairobi starting January," Kiplagat told CapitalFM Sport.

"The centre will serve Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and the central Africa region.

"This will reduce the cost and time it takes to get results whenever we take our samples to Germany or South Africa."

Kenya finished fourth overall at this year's IAAF World Championships in Moscow with a total of 12 medals, including five gold, all won by its middle and long distance runners. 

Asbel Kiprop was one of six Kenyans to win gold medals at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow, claiming the 1500 metres title ©Getty Images

But the country has been at the centre of suspicion recently due the number of athletes to have tested positive there.

A total of 13 athletes tested positive between January 2012 and January 2013 while there has also been accusations that many other runners were using drugs in training camps but avoiding detection because the country's anti-doping system is not up to standard and that many are not being tested due to the remoteness of where they train.

Details of the new centre emerged as a team of IAAF officials visited Nairobi to hold talks with the Kenyan authorities to discuss the problem.

Last month Kenya announced the formation of a new 12-person taskforce designed to investigate the problem of doping in the country.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
November 2013: Kenyan professor to head doping taskforce
November 2013: Kenya to reveal committee to investigate doping allegations
October 2013: Kenya latest country blasted by WADA over doping problems