Kenya’s Ruto links gambling to “national crisis” as he promises toughest laws yet on addiction

Kenyan president William Ruto has vowed sweeping legal reforms targeting drugs, illicit alcohol and gambling, warning that strict regulation, tougher penalties and asset seizures are coming as the government escalates its fight against addiction-driven social harm.

Kenya’s gambling sector is bracing for a new wave of restrictions after President William Ruto explicitly tied betting to what he describes as a nationwide addiction crisis. Speaking in early January 2026 as part of a broader crackdown on drugs and illicit alcohol, Ruto said his government is drafting “the toughest laws yet” and that gambling operators should expect far tighter oversight.

In a speech in Moiben Constituency, the president said Kenya can no longer tolerate an environment where millions are exposed to unregulated betting and substance abuse. Citing official data, he warned that around five million Kenyans are affected by drugs, alcohol or gambling, and described the scale of addiction as “unsustainable” for the country’s social and economic future.

On the substance side, Ruto has proposed some of the harshest penalties in Kenya’s history. He announced plans to introduce capital punishment for traffickers selling hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine, and to give the state powers to confiscate assets used in illegal alcohol and drug distribution, including vehicles and other property. “Anyone selling illegal alcohol will lose the assets they use,” he said, calling on MPs to prepare to pass the new laws without delay.

Gambling is set to be pulled into the same enforcement orbit. Ruto said the government is “creating regulations for gambling” because of the financial and mental-health damage it is causing and insisted that betting “cannot be allowed to spread everywhere”. He confirmed that consultations are under way with the Attorney General, the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) and gaming regulators on a stricter legal framework that will rein in irresponsible gambling.

The president’s stance comes on top of the Gambling Control Act 2025, which already replaced Kenya’s decades-old framework, created the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya and imposed tougher rules on advertising – including bans on celebrity endorsements, “get rich” messaging and call-to-action slogans. Ruto’s new proposals point to a second phase of reform focused squarely on enforcement and public health: betting companies that fail to comply with upcoming rules on licensing, consumer protection and anti-addiction controls could face not just administrative sanctions, but potentially criminal exposure if linked to wider illegal networks.

For operators active in Kenya’s high-growth mobile betting market, the message from State House is clear: prepare for a more intrusive regime, tighter scrutiny of business models and marketing, and a political climate where social risk reduction, rather than tax yield alone, drives gambling policy.