Narok County Senator Ledama Olekina has launched a scathing attack on Kenya’s gambling industry, accusing betting companies of preying on the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

Speaking on Thursday, July 17, 2025, during the Senate debate on the Gambling Control Bill (National Assembly Bills No. 70 of 2023), Olekina warned that the legislation could worsen poverty unless social issues are addressed first.

“Mr. Speaker, this is not the time for us to encourage gambling in this country. Gambling companies target vulnerable, poor communities – people who make Ksh 500 a day doing manual jobs – only to be told to gamble,” he said during the heated session.

Olekina criticised the mediation committee’s report, noting that it retained several clauses that the Senate had recommended for deletion—provisions he believes will negatively impact low-income communities.

At the heart of his argument is the claim that gambling companies target poor Kenyans with aggressive marketing.

“People make Ksh500 a day doing manual jobs, only to be told to gamble it away,” he said, calling the practice exploitative.

A 2022 University of Nairobi study backs his concerns, revealing that 68% of gambling addicts in Kenya earn less than Ksh1,000 daily. Olekina argued that poverty, unemployment, and lack of education must be tackled before punitive gambling laws can work.

“We must first solve our social issues,” he insisted, calling for a holistic approach to regulation.

Olekina also accused Kenya’s gambling regulators of focusing more on collecting revenue than on protecting citizens from the dangers of betting addiction. He pointed to a 2023 Transparency International report that found gambling authorities collected Ksh 12 billion in 2022, with 15% of the funds unaccounted for, raising red flags over accountability and possible profit-sharing.

“I completely oppose gambling. I oppose this bill. We need to rethink gambling in this country,” Olekina declared, urging lawmakers to prioritise the welfare of the poor over expanding gambling profits.

The Gambling Control Bill seeks to replace Kenya’s outdated National Gambling Act of 2004. Past attempts to amend gambling laws, including a 2019 push, stalled due to similar disagreements between lawmakers.

This latest debate, triggered by Senator Allan Chesang’s motion to consider the mediation committee’s report, reflects a growing divide between those pushing for tighter regulation and those prioritising government revenue from the industry.

Olekina’s stand highlights the real cost of gambling in Kenya: a booming business that thrives on the desperation of the poor.