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{
    "id": 686708,
    "url": "http://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/686708/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 169,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Ababu",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 108,
        "legal_name": "Ababu Tawfiq Pius Namwamba",
        "slug": "ababu-namwamba"
    },
    "content": "blowing thousands of shillings of their school fees on betting and gambling, which has become a craze in this country. It is good that a couple of weeks ago, we had an opportunity in this House to discuss measures that would control the participation or the engagement of our young people, especially students, in gambling activities. It is important that this arena is regulated. It is also important that as this area grows, we put limits that ensure that the benefits seep or are ploughed back into the economy. I said on the Floor of this House a couple of weeks ago that I was happy that SportPesa - a sports lottery firm - has grown to an extent where it can invest Kshs5 billion in Hull City, an English Premier League club. I am happy because then it is spreading the brand of SportPesa and the Kenyan brand across the world. It is a bit contradictory for SportPesa to plough that kind of money into a foreign league when our own clubs in the Kenyan Premier League, especially community clubs like Gor Mahia, also known as Kogallo – and AFC Leopards, also known as Ingwe – are struggling to barely survive in the league. I found the magnanimity of SportPesa to be rather misdirected and misguided. I urge firms that are already reaping big out of the opportunity presented by betting and lotteries to first of all look inward. I challenge SportPesa to ensure that in the next season of the Kenyan Premier League we see not less than Kshs1 billion ploughed back into the Kenyan Premier League. Let us see Kshs1 billion ploughed into AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia. We will then believe that the betting firms that are now reaping big out of this liberal house arena are ready to support sporting activities, not merely outside this jurisdiction but also locally. The English themselves, where SportPesa has ploughed over Kshs6 billion, invented the saying “charity begins at home”. May SportPesa follow that English saying and start by investing in local sporting activities? Finally, the issue of taxation and contribution to the economy is important. It is important that we put in place a regime where these firms become responsible in terms of taxation. We would not want to see a situation where this becomes another arena for tax evasion. It is important that every single cent that these firms make is declared. We know that there are a lot of informal outlets where betting happens. Going into a lot of settlements in this city and across the country, you will find so many little outlets and dingy places where these activities are taking place. It is important that every single outlet is registered. Every single stream of revenue must be monitored and tracked by the KRA. All firms that are playing this game must be tax compliant and contribute to the economy. They must be mainstreamed. They should become part of the economic mainstream. That way, the country will reap full benefits of this new economic explosion. Otherwise, it is a good thing. Let us regulate it. I am very happy that I set the ball rolling when, as Minister for Sports, I moved in this House, in 2012, the Sports Act. It is in this Act that we set the framework for sports betting. I challenge everybody who is involved in sports betting that among the reasons why we legislated on sports betting was to support local sporting activities. In that vein, allow me to send a big congratulatory message to our gallant girls and boys who represented us in Rio. I rebuke the managers of this team that mismanaged the whole contingent that went to Rio. Our athletes performed well in spite of that mismanagement. I support the Bill."
}