Home Affairs Minister Fred Matiang’i directed the expulsion of 14 non-citizens alleged to be operating an illicit wagering syndicate. The cohort, primarily Eastern European nationals employed by SportPesa, a sports wagering enterprise, were apprehended in Nairobi and will be repatriated on accusations of unlawful gaming and lacking valid work authorizations.
This action follows earlier this week’s searches of SportPesa premises by various governmental bodies and law enforcement seeking paperwork pertaining to the company’s recently reinstated online betting activities. SportPesa is presently engaged in a legal dispute to preclude the government from shuttering its Kenyan operations.
Earlier this month, Matiang’i reaffirmed the government’s uncompromising stance against non-compliant betting enterprises, asserting, “We will not alter our resolution as a government on what we have already determined. Kenyans can be certain that is not going to shift.” SportPesa was among 19 operators whose permits were annulled in 2019 following a taxation disagreement with the Kenya Revenue Authority. The brand was reintroduced in October 2020 under Milestone Games Limited, a new entity that obtained a license from the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB).
The authorization has expired.
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