The National Assembly members have moved in to tame the rampant and highly unregulated broadcast betting by television and radio stations through enforcement of more tough sanctions.
The motion was moved by Nyeri Town Member of Parliament (MP) Duncan Mathenge and while making their contributions, lawmakers decried what they termed as an elaborate syndicate aimed at fleecing Kenyans.
Last year, Kiambaa MP John Njuguna Wanjiku questioned on the floor of the House how broadcast betting is regulated despite the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) having directed Safaricom PLC to deregister all paybill numbers issued for the same.
Separately, MPs asked the Central Bank of Kenya and Communications Authority (CA) to seek Parliament’s legislative support to reign in on broadcast betting by telcos and broadcast media during a week-long induction retreat in Nairobi in September last year.
John Kiarie, Dagoreti South MP, argued that although telecommunication companies are registered as communication companies, they double up as banks.
During the 12th parliamentary sitting, Kawanjiku demanded the then National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani furnish the National Assembly departmental committee on Finance and National Planning with financial details, records of tax remittances to KRA, pay bill codes issued by telecommunication company firms particularly Safaricom and beneficiaries of broadcast gambling by radio stations and TV, demanding answers on remittances.
Kawanjiku singled out Inooro FM, Kameme FM and Gukena FM owned by Royal Media Services, Mediamax Network Limited and Radio Africa Group respectively as the major vernacular radio stations promoting the unregulated live betting shows.
Today, the MPs regretted that there are no stringent regulatory sanctions by the government to reign in on the companies they said are running lotteries on live TV and radio programmes.
