Members of Parliament Tuesday defended the committee formed to address gambling addiction in Kenya, saying that the industry was destroying the lives of many youth.
The legislators said that gambling had destroyed young lives and should be nipped in the bud before it becomes a full-blown disaster.
Parliament has formed a joint 11-member committee to look into the gambling craze with at least five million Kenyans taking up betting.
The team will be co-chaired by National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Deale and National Assembly Deputy Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo.
Cord leader Raila Odinga had on Saturday termed the gambling craze in Kenya “the next big scandal” as young people go out of their way to have a pie of the billions being floated around by the many betting companies.
Speaking during a morning TV show, Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi, Mr Midiwo and Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi said that time had come to rein in on the industry.
“We have seen suicides and many families have been broken because of this thing,” said Mr Midiwo who had two weeks ago told Parliament that the industry was making it easy for tax evasion and money laundering.