Three Chinese businessmen arrested over illegal gaming in Kericho

The three Chinese nationals arrested in Kericho for operating illegal gaming machines assembling business.

Police in Kericho have arrested three Chinese nationals suspected to be operating an illegal gaming business locally. Police yesterday said they recovered nine gaming machines and other materials enough to assemble dozens others.

County Commissioner Muktar Abdi told The Standard “the Chinese nationals have been conducting their business in secrecy."

The three were accused of assembling the gaming machines popularly known as “loto” in the building located in Site area.

"They even refused to obey police orders to open up the door of a rented building, causing a standoff that lasted about an hour,” said Mr Abdi.

He suspects will be arraigned in court for violating Chapter 131 of the Constitution regarding lotteries and gaming business. “The Chinese citizens don’t have license from the Betting Control and Licensing Board to assemble, let alone to operate gaming business,” said Abdi.

He said they had also confiscated the foreigners’ passports and handed the same to intelligence officers to establish whether they are genuine, and also find out if the suspects are legally in the country.

Abdi vowed to continue the crackdown on illegal gaming business. "We are not going to allow illegal gambling business to thrive in Kericho. Whoever wishes to venture in the business must obtain a licence from the BCLB,” he said.

He said landlords found “hosting criminals will be arrested”.

South Rift Gaming Association chairman Justus Yegon blamed foreigners for roliferation of illegal gaming business. “We are ready to provide Government with more information on foreigners who are in the county on tourism passport but are now engaged in illegal business,” he said.

Elsewhere in Bomet, more than 100 gambling machines were destroyed and several people arrested over the weekend. Bomet County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding, who led the operation, appealed to the county government to stop issuing business permits to foreigners engaged in illegal gambling.

Mr Omoding said his team would flush out foreigners living and working in the county without permits. “We will destroy all the machines placed in many market centres, which have become a great security threat, as youths engage in the vice 24 hours,” he said.

Omoding said gambling had destroyed many families, with some addicts even selling ancestral land. “Apart from adults engaging in gambling, we have reports that children have dropped out of school to gamble, as others are engaged as workers at the hideouts,” he said.

“Our people are deceived to buy the machine by giving a down payment of Sh80,000 to foreigners to purchase the gambling machine, but in the long run the foreigners come weekly to collect the money,” he added.