Media houses have been under siege over claims of running fake lotteries scandals in a bid to dupe Kenyans off their hard-earned cash.
In particular, journalists were roped in on the scandals, with a section of Kenyans online accusing them of advertising and marketing the schemes on behalf of their employers.
The gambling craze has seen several journalists, media personalities and the general public participate in the game of chance – in a bid to uplift their own livelihoods.
According to a report by the Central Bank of Kenya and Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), gamblers who rely on betting for livelihoods stood at 22.7 percent in 2019.
The data, however, reduced to 11.2 percent in 2021- rubber-stamping the government’s efforts to combat irresponsible and illegal betting.
Despite the statistics, Kenyans have not only continued to participate but are hopeful of acquiring millions overnight. The trend of the lotteries running across media houses saw a wide margin join to try their luck- some albeit unsuccessful.
Recently, the fake lottery scandal imploded within the industry with several Kenyans roping in a number of media personalities they claimed duped them into participating in the vice.
Standard Media Group Limited journalist, Hassan Mwana wa Ali, however, dispelled claims that journalists are responsible for lotteries that are labeled as fictitious.
“For those of you who tagged me in this conversation, just know that I don’t own a media house nor do I have the energy to control such. It is beyond me. We have various stakeholders involved here; the media and their owners, the Media Council of Kenya, the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB), Vetting Control and Licensing Board. Very able-bodies indeed,” he defended himself.
Kikuyu gospel artist Muigai Njoroge, on the other hand, also promised to demand justice for those who unknowingly entrusted fake lottery companies through him.
“To all those who have tagged me, I confirm I have seen the tags as well as the concern. No matter how much I was paid by any company or individual to market or advertise something on their behalf and they fail to honor the agreement with their customers, I will rise to demand justice for my followers who, through me, trusted the company or individual,” he noted.
Media Council of Kenya Chief Executive Officer (CEO) David Omwoyo affirmed to Kenyans.co.ke that the Council had observed that some media houses were taking part in or running gambling programs without licenses and advertising gambling within watershed hours – in some cases during children’s shows.
He noted that part of the measures taken to curb the menace involved the formation of a task force to review betting and related activities in media outlets.
“The team, consisting of eminent media sector professionals, was identified to address all emerging issues, best practices, and their impact on the media industry. The team was also tasked with investigating media houses’ ability to vet advertisements as well as outside content and shows.”
“The composition of the taskforce was a deliberate effort to draw experiences from knowledgeable media experts, given the gravity of gambling in our radio, television, and online media platforms,” he emphasised noting that the move was in line with MCK’s broader intervention to ensure compliance with the standards provided for by the Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism in Kenya.
Omwoyo further pointed out that recommendations by the task force were already shared with the National Assembly for consideration.
“As a Council, we remain optimistic that these recommendations will be embraced, and the necessary steps are taken to ensure a healthy betting environment in our media outlets. The Council will continue pushing for professionalism in our media platforms,” he stated.
Efforts by Kenyans.co.ke to speak to Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) were met with silence.
