Ichung’wah backs Gambling Control Bill, cites threat to Kenyan youth
By Aloys Michael, July 30, 2025The Leader of the Majority in Kenya’s National Assembly, Kimani Ichung’wah, condemned the rising menace of gambling among the country’s youth and voiced strong support for the newly proposed Gambling Control Bill.
He underlined the growing concern over the industry’s unchecked growth and its potential to destroy the hopes and futures of young Kenyans.
The MP said the bill is a vital step to safeguard Kenya’s youth from the social ills linked to unregulated gambling.
Highlighting the devastating social consequences, Ichung’wah stressed the urgent need to regulate the betting industry to protect the future of Kenya’s young generation.
“Betting has become a menace in our society, contributing to rising delinquency among our youth. This vice must be curbed, and the betting industry strictly regulated to protect our youthful, energetic, and innovative generation from destruction,” he said during the House session on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
He pointed to the irresponsible promotion of gambling by some media houses, which have been encouraging the public to bet at all hours.
“Many radio stations and TV stations, honourable speaker, were free to encourage the public to bet from as early as 5 am. There are radio stations that were running programs encouraging Kenyans to bet and gamble,” he revealed.
Ichun’wah gambling bill arguments
The impact of such encouragement has been severe. Ichung’wah raised an alarm about young people losing everything to gambling, including school fees and even their lives.
“We have seen young children, college students commit suicide because of betting. They have gambled their money away, their school fees. Some gamble their subsistence allowance from their parents and the higher education,” he explained.
He said the consequences of unregulated betting extend beyond financial losses.
“They end up destitute, slip into depression and end up, honourable speaker, some committing suicide,” he noted.
He urged lawmakers to consider the human cost of the gambling epidemic when debating the bill.
The proposed Gambling Control Bill seeks to impose stricter controls on gambling operators and hold media outlets accountable for promoting irresponsible betting.
“It is these young ones that we must protect, and this particular law will play a critical role in protecting the young people in our country against those who are encouraging them to engage in irresponsible betting and gambling,” Ichung’wah emphasised.
He added that the legislation would curb misleading advertising that lures Kenyans into thinking they can become billionaires overnight by simply punching numbers on their phone.
“It will play a critical role in ensuring that our media houses do not irresponsibly encourage people to get into irresponsible gambling by making them believe that they’ll become billionaires and billionaires overnight by simply punching numbers on their phone,” he asserted.