Gambling In Nairobi To Be Controlled If Assembly Approves New Law

Amendment Seeks To Impose More Punitive Fines And Jail Term For Offenders

By Adieri Mulaa

Mushrooming gambling premises and online gaming activities in Nairobi could soon be brought under strict regulation to protect Kenyans from the addictive vices.

An amendment Bill on the Betting, Lotteries and Gaming Act will come up in the county assembly this week for Second Reading following public participation.

The proposed law seeks to prohibit erection or display of any advertisement, billboard or luminous signage related to betting, lotteries and gaming activities and premises.

A report of public participation on the Nairobi City County Betting, Lotteries and Gaming (Amendment) Bill, 2021 will on Thursday 17th February, 2022 be tabled on the floor of the Assembly for debate.

The Bill sponsored by Nairobi South MCA Waithera Chege, will be subjected to amendments by the Committee of the whole House and proceed to the Third Reading if approved.

If the Bill is passed by the House and assented to by the governor, all betting, lotteries and gaming premises shall within six months be required to operate on cashless modes of betting.

Nairobi South MCA and House Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Waithera Chege (centre) addressing journalists on the Nairobi City County Betting, Lotteries and Gaming (Amendment) Bill, 2021. On the right is Waithaka Ward MCA Anthony Kiragu and nominated MCA Elizabeth Nyambura. Photo/Adieri Mulaa

Further, the amendment proposes a fine of five million shillings or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both for a person convicted for contravention.

Waithera, the House Deputy Majority Chief Whip told reporters that public participation was concluded during the long recess and the memoranda forwarded to the Office of the Clerk of the County Assembly accordingly.

“A report of the public participation is ready for tabling on the floor of the House this Thursday for consideration by Members”, she said.

The Bill, she added, would now move to the Second Reading for debate and possible amendments by the Committee of the whole House. A vote will then be taken to pass or reject it, Waithera told a news conference at the Nairobi City County Assembly.

Waithaka MCA Anthony Kiragu said the Bill proposes for any gambling to be domiciled in a five star hotel as regulated by the Tourism Regulatory Authority.

That would make it out of reach by most of the middle class and youth who are increasingly getting involved in gambling and gaming activities in Nairobi, he said.

The County legislators noted that betting firms and clubs were now sponsoring candidates at both the National Assembly and County Assembly in the August General Election, to fight punitive laws and perpetuate their business interests.

“We are telling Nairobians these candidates are not coming to serve them but because of their own business interests through gambling”, Waithera said.

They are coming to run their own agenda either at the National Assembly or County Assembly, she added.

Kiragu pointed out that in China, gambling was only allowed for foreigners in Macau, also referred to as Macao, a small autonomous special administrative region on the south coast of China.

“We are headed there and we hope to get support of other counties so that we push this vice out of reach by the ordinary mwananchi”, Waithaka MCA said.

He pointed out that in other countries, gambling sites had been shut down by the respective states.

Similarly, Nairobi county would also appeal to the national government to block all gambling sites like it had happened in China, Russia, Dubai and all other Arab countries.

Macau is a city with mixed cultural influences, which boast of giant casinos and malls on the Cotai Strip. It was previously a Portuguese territory until 1999.