Senator Cheruiyot Breaks Silence On Betting Charges Against Him
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot has denied receiving money from gambling winnings.
This comes after reports on social media that the Senator was involved in the proceeds of betting.
Cheruiyot denied the charges, claiming that he has no knowledge of betting or any interest in betting enterprises.
“Stop this silly smear campaign. I do not even know how to bet, let alone have an interest in a betting firm or related business. Neither directly nor by proxy,” he said on Saturday in a statement on X.
This comes as Kenyan teenagers fall prey to betting firms, prompting calls for their regulation.
There are currently over 200 betting firms permitted to operate in the market, more than doubling from 100 in 2021.
Stop this your silly smear campaign.
— Aaron Cheruiyot (@Aaroncheruiyot) April 26, 2025
I do not even know how to bet, let alone have interest in a betting firm or related business. Neither directly nor by proxy.
You ought to be embarrassed of yourself. https://t.co/twVkIgt5Hl
The betting sector is subject to a 15% excise tax on stakes, a 20% withholding tax on net wins, and a 50% betting and gaming tax on operators’ gross gaming revenue.
This is in addition to corporate income tax on operations and other statutory deductions such as Pay as You Earn on employees, as the industry employs over 10,000 people directly and 500,000 indirectly.
In March, the Kenya Revenue Authority said that betting firms paid Sh12.47 billion in taxes in the eight months leading up to February 2025.
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The Betting Control and Licensing Board’s chairperson, Jane Makau, stated that the regulator is concerned with ensuring that industry operators follow established regulations.
The BCLB is set to open the new licensing period for the next financial year on May 1.
An article published by the National Library of Medicine in January 2022, titled “Gambling-related suicide in East African Community countries”, indicated there were about 18 suicides reported between 2017 and 2022.
Kenya had the highest number, accounting for 10 out of the 18 cases, Uganda had seven, and Tanzania had one case.
Senator Cheruiyot Breaks Silence On Betting Charges Against Him
