Gambling crackdown: Communications Authority issues 12-hour warning to defiant broadcasters
Yahweh Media Services and eight other stations were fined Sh500,000 each for continuing to air unlicensed gambling promotions despite clear directives banning the content.
The Communications Authority has slapped nine TV stations with fines and given them 12 hours to stop broadcasting gambling adverts or face further sanctions, including having their licenses revoked.
In a statement on Monday, the regulator said it had fined Yahweh Media Services and eight other stations Sh500,000 each for continuing to air unlicensed gambling promotions despite clear directives banning the content.
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The authority had earlier issued notices to 33 broadcasters on March 13 and followed it up with a general advisory on April 23, urging compliance.
"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," CA said in the statement.
The latest sanctions follow an NTV exposé titled Sacred Swindle: Inside the Gospel of Greed on Kenya’s Airwaves, which showed how some stations meant to preach the gospel were instead airing disguised gambling content.
The exposé detailed how some televangelists made money by encouraging viewers to join raffles and prize competitions masked as faith-based blessings.
One pastor featured in the report said they can earn up to Sh700,000 in a day from unsuspecting Kenyans who think they are participating in faith-based giveaways.
CA said the 12-hour ultimatum is in line with Section 83A of the Kenya Information and Communications Act and warned that repeat offenders would face more serious consequences.
"Consequently, in line with Section 83A of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998, the Authority instituted a notice to issue a penalty of Sh500,000 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," CA added.
The exposé sparked public outrage and calls for stronger regulation to protect vulnerable viewers from deceptive and exploitative programming disguised as religious content.
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