The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has fined eight television broadcasters Ksh500,000 each for airing unlicensed gambling promotions.
In a statement on Monday, May 26, CA also issued a 12-hour ultimatum to the broadcasters to halt all non-compliant content or face further regulatory action.
"In line with Section 83A of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998, the Authority instituted a notice to issue a penalty of Ksh500,000.00 to eight (8) non-compliant broadcasters for airing unlicensed price competition promotions, with a 12-hour ultimatum to cease all non-compliant broadcasts or face additional sanctions, including license revocation," the statement read.
The sanctions follow a series of violations revealed in the recent NTV Kenya exposé, #SacredSwindle, which uncovered how some stations used religious programming to promote gambling schemes disguised as faith-based initiatives.
The CA said it had already been monitoring such activities before the exposé was broadcast.
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"We acknowledge the gravity of the allegations highlighted in the exposé, and the concerns regarding the exploitation of religious platforms to advance unregulated betting promotions disguised as faith-based initiatives," the statement added.
According to CA, through its ongoing license monitoring efforts, it had identified violations by 33 broadcasters, including Yahweh’s Media Services Limited and its affiliate stations, which were featured in the NTV investigation.
"Prior to the exposé, the Authority through its continuous license monitoring efforts had identified license violations by 33 broadcasters, including but not limited to Yahweh’s Media Services Limited and its affiliate stations," the statement added.
In response, CA said it issued Notices of Violation on March 13, 2025, to all 33 broadcasters involved in the unlicensed gambling promotions.
On April 23, it followed up with a sector-wide advisory directing all broadcasters to cease airing any gambling-related advertisements.
According to CA, the crackdown intensified on April 29, when the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) suspended all gambling ads for 30 days.
That same day, the authority issued suspension notices to the non-compliant broadcasters.
However, CA noted that a compliance review conducted in the second week of May revealed that several broadcasters had continued to disregard these directives.
"Even with the directives to suspend advertising of all gambling-related content, a review by the Authority in the second week of May 2025 revealed the continued airing of such prohibited content by some broadcasters, in blatant disregard of sector laws and directives," the statement further read.
