This archive report was first published on 12 July 2019.
On July 11, 2019, the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government issued a directive to mobile telecommunication companies, requiring them to allow gamblers to withdraw their funds within 48 hours.
The directive, signed by Liti Wambua, an acting director at the Interior Ministry, stated that the decision was taken due to the betting firms' failure to observe regulations required for them to obtain new licenses.
The licenses of operators were not renewed for the period July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, according to the letter.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi and his Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho had previously warned betting firms to comply with regulations or risk losing their licenses.
Twenty-seven betting firms, including SportPesa, Lucky 2 U, and Asian Betting and Gaming Ltd, are affected by the directive.
The government's move to end gambling in Kenya has sparked concerns among betting firms, with some contemplating filing suits to block the directive.
Interior CS Matiangi has previously stated that the gambling sector may have been engaging in money laundering, citing the sector's revenue of Sh200 billion and only Sh4 billion paid to the government as taxes.
