Betting Control and Licensing Board chairman wants status quo maintained
Betting Control and Licensing Board chairman Prof Musili Wambua. He will remain in office until the Court of Appeal determines the appeal he had filed. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The Betting Control and Licensing Board chairman Prof Musili Wambua to remain in office until the Court of Appeal determines the appeal he had filed.
- The battle for control of the Sh5 billion betting, lotteries and gaming industry has been heating up as the term of Prof Wambua as Chairman nears end on January 8 though he is eligible for re-appointment.
The chairman of the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB), Prof Musili Wambua, will remain in office until the Court of Appeal determines the appeal he had filed.
This is after Prof Wambua’s lawyers signed a consent with Attorney-General Githu Muigai and Commission on Administrative Justice chairman Otiende Amolo for the status quo relating to his tenure at the board to be maintained pending the determination of his appeal.
The consent was signed on December 30, 2015 pending the hearing and determination of his appeal against High Court orders that he cannot hold two public offices of associate dean at the University of Nairobi’s School of Law and chairmanship of BCLB.
In addition, the court has also dropped one of the parties to case, the Association of Human Resource Practitioners in Kenya after they failed to respond to the filing of appeal by Prof Wambua.
HOLDING TWO PUBLIC OFFICES
The battle for control of the Sh5 billion betting, lotteries and gaming industry has been heating up as the term of Prof Wambua as chairman nears its end on January 8 though he is eligible for reappointment.
However, head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua, through a circular addressed to Prof Githu, all Cabinet secretaries and principal secretaries advised that academic staff of public universities and researchers are exempted from the provision that prohibits government officers from holding two public offices.
“An exception to this rule shall only apply where a written law has stipulated that such a public officer be so appointed, to academic staff of public universities with relevant knowledge and skills, researchers serving in research institutions with relevant knowledge and skills, and in exceptional circumstances as this office may approve on advise by the State Corporations Advisory Committee,” Mr Kinyua said.
BCLB is a government agency under the ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government tasked with controlling and licensing of betting and gaming premises, recovery of tax on betting and gaming, and authorising public lotteries.
In the December 2015 report, auditing services firm PwC forecast that gross gambling revenue in Kenya would rise to $21.5 million (Sh2.2 billion) up from $20.1 million (Sh2 billion) in 2014.
GROSS REVENUES
According to the PwC report, 'Taking the Odds: Gambling Outlook 2015-2019’, it is predicted the gross revenues will rise to Sh.2.9 billion in 2019 as more players enter the fray.
Some of the big names in the industry are in sports betting. They are Sportpesa which in 2014 invested Sh400 million, Oxygen 8, Betin, mCheza and Betway.
There are also SMS lotteries offered by mobile telecom companies, online gambling sites and the oldest, Kenya Charity Sweepstake.
With a lot of money circulating within the industry following its liberalisation, interested parties are now battling to get a piece of the pie.
Some have of players are said to be colluding with senior government officials to get friendly people on the board of BCLB.
