Gambling Limited to 8 pm-5 am As Nairobians Are Urged Not To Vote For Candidates Sponsored By Betting Firms

The push to have betting business regulated in Nairobi County has gained momentum as it is expected to be read a second time after undergoing public participation in January.

The Nairobi City County Betting, Lotteries, and Gaming (Amendment bill 2021) was read for the first time in the assembly last year November before it went for public participation in January.

Briefing the press about the second reading after the public participation, Deputy Majority Chief Whip Waithera Chege who is the sponsor of the bill called on the citizens to avoid electing leaders of the betting firms saying they are vying to only push for their Agenda.

“They have known that the bill will be restricting their business and they have now resorted to vie for Parliamentary seats. They will only be pushing for an agenda to prosper their business and nothing else. Nairobians should be keen not to elect such leaders,” Siad Waithera.

Her sentiments come after the SportPesa CEO Ronald Karauri declared he would be vying for the Kasarani Member of Parliament seat.
According to the Member of County Assembly for Waithaka Ward Anthony Kiragu, the Betting firms have made youths to be reluctant to hard in work but only seat knowing they can make money through gambling.
He also accused the firms and some media houses of sponsoring candidates to vie in Various seats to continue with their own business agenda.
Despite noting that the sector plays a role in the revenue of the County Kiragu said no country can grow if there is a lot of gambling.
The bill calls for restriction of the betting hours from 8 PM to 5 AM.
It also seeks to ban all forms of betting advertisements in the Media and change to the cashless form of betting.
The bill will also ban gambling by some local radio stations which the MCA’s claim has made many listeners be bankrupt and end up being depressed for not winning.

READ ALSO: Bill Seeking to Restrict Betting From 8pm-5am Brought Before the Floor

“I am informed of an old Mama who sold all her cattle back in the village to gamble in some local radio station. That is the kind of thing that the bill seeks to restrict. We want even the sites to be closed during the day and only opened during the night when school children are asleep,” said Kiragu.