Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki has stated that he will ban betting in his county.
The Governor stated that betting had led to laziness among youth and had discouraged area residents from farming.
Speaking during a meeting with some of the county's top officials on Thursday, Njuki stated that he had halted the licensing of betting firms in the region until further notice.
[caption caption="Tharaka Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki"]
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"Betting is hindering people from going to the farm. They use all their time trying out their luck.
"We are not licensing them (betting firms) now unless they organise themselves and show us how they will make money without affecting our people.
"Let people do farming. We will license what has a guaranteed outcome," stated the governor.
In June this year, President Uhuru Kenyatta recommended that betting, lotteries and gaming activities be taxed at the rate of 35 percent.
He also rejected to assent to the Finance Bill, 2017, which was meant to amend the laws relating to various taxes and duties.
Kenyatta revealed that he rejected the Bill because Parliament deleted the clause that was designed to discourage the youth from engaging in betting.
In April, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich proposed that taxes be raised from the current 7.5 percent (betting), 12 percent (lottery), 15 percent (gaming) and 15 percent (competition) to a uniform 50 percent for all categories.
[caption caption="Treasury CS Henry Rotich"]
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While reading the 2017/2018 budget statement, the Treasury CS highlighted that betting, lottery, gaming, and competition companies had grown tremendously, adding that the sector is inadequately regulated.
The President, however, stated that the government was willing to engage the betting industry in discussions to deliberate a way forward.
