CS Fred Matiang'i signs deportation orders against 17 directors of betting firms

Matiang'i signs deportation orders against 17 directors of betting firms

Mumbi Mutuko

July 16, 2019 3:53 PM

Get out of Kenya

Interior CS Fred Matiangi and Immigration PS Gordon Kihalangwa

Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i has signed deportation orders against 17 foreigners who are directors of gambling firms.

This comes in the backdrop of the government's fight against gambling and betting firms that had not complied with directives given.

Last week the State ordered telcos to shut down the paybill numbers and shortcodes of 27 companies whose licences are yet to be renewed.

In April, the Interior ministry gave tough conditions that all companies were supposed to meet before getting their new licences.

Interior PS Karanja Kibicho, Interior CS Fred Matiangi and Immigration PS Gordon Kihalangwa 1 Pulse Live Kenya

Failure to pay taxes

The betting firms had to show that they were tax-compliant they were also supposed to prove they had been operating within the law, were sufficiently liquid and had performed financially well for the past four years.

On Monday, the People Daily reported that the government wa sin the process of profiling some of the foreign directors set to be deported.

According to the government, betting firms have been making revenues of up to Ksh200 billion a year but paid only Ksh4 billion in taxes last year.

Interior PS Karanja Kibicho, Interior CS Fred Matiangi and Immigration PS Gordon Kihalangwa Pulse Live Kenya

Additionally, the state said that the nature of the ownership of most betting companies and existing weak laws had made it easy for the companies to be used as avenues for money laundering.

In May Dr Matiang'i had cautioned that foreigners who had applied for work permits for other jobs but got involved in betting or gambling would be deported.

Mumbi Mutuko