Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has signed deportation orders on 17 directors involved in gambling, to be effected immediately.
Majority of these deportees are Europeans who have violated work permits engaging in business not stated on the application.
In May, Mr. Matiang’i issued a list to the Inspector General of Police and the Director of Criminal Investigations for review of directors of betting companies in a move intended to rid the country of those with work permits not authorized for gambling.
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“The Europeans violated work permits by engaging in business not stated on applications,” Wangui Muchiri a spokeswoman for the ministry said Tuesday., “The deportation orders are immediate.”
The CS, during a betting control and licensing stakeholders meeting, said that almost 100 per cent of the revenue raised by the gaming and betting firms owned by foreigners is repatriated to their home countries. It is estimated that the industry turns around KSH. 200 billion annually.
The government has lately intensified a crackdown on gambling in the country, and has even ordered mobile telecommunication companies to shut down short codes operated by betting firms, sparking outrage from the firms which have already filed a challenge in court.
some of the firms affected include Lucky 2 U, Asian Betting and Gaming Ltd, Kick Off Sports Bar Ltd, Mozzarbet Kenya Ltd, Atari Gaming Ltd, Millionnaire Sports Bet Ltd, Premier Betting Ltd, Advanced Innovation Ltd, Sekunde Technologies among others. All insist they are being targeted unfairly while claiming that they pay requisite taxes as required by law.