The government on Tuesday kicked out 17 foreigners believed to have invested in gambling business without having working permits to legalise the business, reports the Nation.
On Monday, Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang'i, ordered Immigration PS Gordon Kihalangwa to review working permits of foreigners who 'came to do other businesses but ended up in betting'.
In the recent past, the betting industry has been on the upward trajectory with the government raising fears that it could antagonise sections of the community economically.
“We are not using the guise of revenue to allow a broken sector… Over 90 per cent of players in gaming are foreigners, they repatriate a huge amount of money to their countries.
The ubiquity and craze of gaming in Kenya has caused dire social and economic strain at the behest of a few elite, majority of whom are non-Kenyans and live outside the country,” Matiang'i said during the Betting Control and Licensing stakeholders meeting at the Kenya School of Government.
Among those affected on Tuesday's crackdown are Chinese, Spanish and Turkish nationals. The government did not, however, specify the number per country.
On May 21, Matiang'i confirmed that the government of setting down regulations to avoid situations where betting causes harm to the economy of the country.
“Going forward, we will introduce a regulatory framework predicated on minimising harm. Our support and action in the sector will be purely driven by the government’s “Duty of Care”, responsibility and dedication to the public interest,” he said.
In April, the government cancelled licenses for all betting and gambling firms pending vetting in July. At least 30 firms are involved in active betting in Kenya.