Kenyan officials set machines on fire to curb problem gambling

Kenyan authorities have taken a rather unique tact towards curbing problem-gambling.

Government officials have set about 40 gambling machines ablaze at the Matisi shopping centre in Webuye West constituency in an operation led by the Bungoma County Commissioner James Kianda.

He said the alarming rate at which children were dropping out from school in their bid to get rich quick through gambling is worrying, hence the operation. He said, most of these children have become thieves, robbing people of their valuables to raise money to feed gambling activities.

“We have received reports that the children also steal money from their parents and gamble with it. Some sell utensils to scrap metal dealers to get gambling money, adding that scrap metal dealers are also warned against buying scrap metal from school-aged children,” Kianda said.

Even more critical, Kianda revealed that the surge in gambling machines in the area has resulted in the spread of HIV/AIDS and has lead to other immoral activities among the teenagers.

As a punitive measure, the commissioner said, the County Security team are on alert to arrest and prosecute shop owners who operate gambling machines.

“We will not get tired in the fight against this vice where many students are dropping out of school to operate gambling machines owned by cartels in this country,” he said.

“The basic education of 2013 requires every child below the age of 18 to be in school.”

He also disclosed that the operation would be extended to other towns including Bungoma town, Chwele, Kimilili, and Webuye among others, with expectations that there would be no gambling machine in the County by the end of June.

Mr Kianda said, “The Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) is the only mandated body to issue a license to legal betting firms.” Therefore, any operator without such license would be arrested.

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