Security agencies in Eastern region have embarked on mopping out gambling machines that have become popular, arresting three people believed to be assembling them and distributing to several parts of the region.
Led by Eastern Regional Coordinator, Wycliffe Ogallo, the team confiscated 192 Chinese gambling machines valued at Sh.13million from the assembly plant in Itabua area, Embu town and burnt them down.
Ogallo said two of those arrested are locals, while another is a Chinese businessman, noting that the crackdown will continue to rid the region of gambling which he said was a hindrance to the country’s drive to achieve the Big Four agenda.
The RC said gambling is illegal and put on notice staff and officers of national government administration and all levels of security committees in the region to up crackdown to rid the area of the menace.
“National government coordinators and security committees in the region have up to the end of this month, to ensure all gambling machines are eradicated. Intelligence will be heightened and officers found abetting the business will be sacked and also face the law,” he said.
Ogallo, who was accompanied by Embu County Commissioner, Esther Maina, also cautioned illegal aliens who use the region as a soft spot to run the illegal business that they will be hunted and will face full force of the law.
Elsewhere Security officers in West Pokot County Tuesday burnt 21 gambling machines that were impounded last week, after the owners failed to turn up to claim ownership.
Business people in the area are counting huge losses after the machines that were impounded during the raid were torched in the middle of Makutano town with monies inside.
Police officers in the county, last week carried impromptu raids in several centres and impounded unlicensed betting machines.
Speaking at Makutano town when he led the burning of machines, the area Acting County Commissioner, Khaliff Abdulai said the raid was conducted in Makutano, Ortum and Chepareria towns, where they managed to impound the illegal betting machines.
“During the raid we never managed to arrest anybody. The owners got a tip off and disappeared before our arrival. We gave the owners a grace period of one week to come and claim ownership, but nobody has turned up that’s why we have decided to burn them since we want to totally eradicate gambling games in this county,” he said.
Khaliff said they took the decision to protect school children who are the main target by this unregulated gambling machines.
‘My office have received several complaints of incident, where the main victims are the school going children. There are incidents where some have dropped out from school and others taking away their lives after using fees on these ‘lotto’ gambling machines’, said the commissioner
By Muoki Charles
