The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has taken swift action against Yahweh Media Services and several other broadcasters for violating the country’s rules on gambling advertisements.
Just a day after a major exposé revealed how some stations were secretly promoting gambling, the authority banned Yahweh Media and imposed hefty fines.
In a press release issued on the evening of Monday, May 26, CA confirmed that certain media houses continued airing gambling adverts even after clear instructions had been given to stop.
The authority emphasized that this defiance could lead to severe consequences, including financial penalties and even the revocation of broadcast licenses.
According to the CA, back on March 13, 2025, it had issued notices of violation to 33 broadcasters who were caught airing unauthorized gambling-related promotions. This warning was followed by a sector-wide advisory on April 23, which clearly directed all broadcasters to stop airing gambling content of any kind.
However, in the second week of May, a compliance review conducted by CA found that several broadcasters had ignored the directive and were still airing the banned content.
The authority noted this as a blatant disregard of existing broadcasting regulations and sector laws.
“In spite of the earlier instruction to halt all gambling advertisements, our latest review showed that some broadcasters are still running such content,” CA stated.
“This is a direct violation of the law and our directives.” As a result, Yahweh Media and eight other non-compliant broadcasters were each fined Ksh500,000 for continuing to air gambling adverts without proper authorization.
The authority also issued a firm 12-hour deadline to all offending broadcasters to immediately stop airing any form of unlicensed gambling content.
Failure to comply within the set timeframe, CA warned, would attract further punishment, including the possibility of losing their broadcast licenses entirely.
“Pursuant to Section 83A of the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998, the Authority has imposed a penalty of Ksh500,000 on eight broadcasters for promoting unauthorized prize competition content,” CA explained. “They have been given 12 hours to comply or face additional sanctions such as license cancellation.”
The crackdown came shortly after a shocking exposé aired by NTV on Sunday night, which revealed disturbing practices within gospel-themed television channels.
The investigative report, titled Sacred Swindle: Inside the Gospel of Greed on Kenya’s Airwaves, uncovered how some religious stations were discreetly broadcasting gambling advertisements to unsuspecting viewers under the disguise of gospel programming.
The investigation highlighted a growing and troubling trend where religious TV stations, originally set up to spread faith-based content, are now using their platforms to exploit their audiences financially.
These stations are cleverly embedding gambling promotions in their content, preying on the trust of their viewers.
A pastor who spoke candidly during the exposé revealed that the station he is affiliated with could earn up to Ksh700,000 in a single day from Kenyans who unknowingly participate in raffle games, hoping to win cash rewards.
The report further alleged that some televangelists are manipulating religious faith to deceive and exploit vulnerable viewers.
They promise divine miracles and financial breakthroughs to entice people to send money or participate in games that are essentially gambling schemes.
These so-called religious programmes often claim to offer spiritual blessings or miracles in exchange for money, but behind the scenes, they have been turned into commercial operations that thrive on gambling and manipulation.
The growing use of such deceptive content has raised alarm and sparked public calls for stronger oversight and accountability to protect viewers, especially those who are unaware they are being targeted.
In response to the public outcry and the disturbing findings of the exposé, the CA’s firm actions signal a renewed commitment to enforcing broadcast standards and protecting Kenyan citizens from being misled or exploited through television and radio content.
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