Kisumu West MP Olago Oluoch, Kisumu East MP Shabbir Shakir, MCA Nyalenda B James Were and Gabriel Ochieng MCA Kondele have called on the government to investigate how foreigners ship in coin-slot gambling machines.
Hundreds of gambling machines have allegedly been confiscated by police in Kisumu, Kisii, HomaBay, Kakamega, Nyeri and Nakuru countries in an operation that has led to the arrest of Chinese nationals.
“The Chinese are now changing tact by installing the machines in private homes where young people flock to bet and the owners earn some discount. These foreigners are now a security threat,” said Oluoch while addressing Journalists.The local security agencies are working to confiscate the illegal machines,” said Oluoch
Kisumu county commissioner Mohamed Maalim said they have been forced to heighten the crackdown on illegal betting establishments.
“14 foreigners have been arrested with over 500 coin-slot-lottery machines nabbed in Kisumu ,” said Maalim
Regional Assistant Director for Immigration Peter Karoki said Chinese foreigners come into the country as tourists but have instead deviced methods of sneaking in betting machines.
“Our concern as a department is to deal with the immigrants. But it should be interrogated how foreign cars and the gambling machines get into the country. It is the work of the customs office,” said Karoki.