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{
    "id": 1350194,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1350194/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 538,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kikuyu, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "You will be shocked that countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) being a conglomeration of emirates which are predominantly Muslim, are not involved in such things. The dictates of the society we are living in today, have also found an opportunity to derive national revenues out of betting. They are conducting national lotteries that are generating billions of dollars. Same for countries like the USA, UK, South Africa and Nigeria. Even our good neighbours, Uganda and Tanzania, are now in it. We cannot afford to be left behind. We must take advantage of all innovative ways to raise an extra shilling, an extra dollar or an extra billion to provide for goods and services to our people. I want to avoid going into all the issues in the Bill because Members have both the Committee's Report and the Bill, and they can peruse the Bill and see all the good things that are there. I had also noted Clause 35, which expressly prohibits the sale of lottery tickets to various categories of persons, including children, to protect them from engaging in gambling. This prohibition is critical because, as I said, gambling and betting can become a vice. We have seen people even in our own families getting addicted to gambling. Somebody wakes up in the morning and does nothing else other than gamble. We must protect our children. We must raise a generation of children who believe in engaging in active, productive economic activities to make money. There is a very dangerous culture today which is being perpetuated in our media stations, that all you need is lady luck to visit you; you do not need to work. All you need is to raise some money for bundles or for sending texts, send a text to this and that number and win half a million or a million shillings. Many of the media houses use that mass media communication and the very powerful brands they have in the media to market their betting and gambling companies. Our youth are getting to a situation where they believe they may live without working and just gamble and bet themselves to riches. Let me take this opportunity to speak to our young men and women. Yes, there may be no jobs, but gambling and betting cannot be your job. You will spend too much money before you win. I have seen it. That is why we are saying since people will still bet, why then not take advantage as a bet to have a National Lottery Bill where we can mobilise resources, at least, to help rehabilitate our youth, and even the older generation who are already addicted and others getting addicted. In progressive countries, and I have seen it in the UK, they have a lottery Fund and, in that lottery, Fund, they have set aside funds to finance rehabilitation centres to rehabilitate people who are addicted to gambling and betting. We are being careless here. All our media stations have SMS numbers for betting. They have things they are promoting on television and radio stations. In fact, I am told that today, all our mainstream media houses are making more money from betting and gambling than from commercial advertisements. That tells you how The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}