Ruto jokingly scolds betting companies for operating in an ‘opaque’ space
President William Ruto on Wednesday jokingly used the word “opaque” that was made infamous by one of the four officials of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) who disputed his election victory.
Speaking during function that brought together Safaricom, NCBA and CBK in Nairobi, the president lauded the Central Bank of Kenya Governor Dr Patrick Njoroge for ensuring that the online betting companies are regulated.
However, the president pointed out that currently, online betting companies are not paying taxes.
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“I’m also happy that you’re bringing into the regulation space the online betting companies, because we also want them to pay taxes. At the moment, they are operating in a space that is opaque,” President Ruto said amid laughter from his audience.
“I know opaque has many connotations lately, and not very positive ones but that space needs more clarity,” he went on.
The term opaque was made famous by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Vice-Chairperson Juliana Cherera during the announcement of the presidential results in last month’s election.
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Ms Cherera used the term when she alleged that IEBC Chairperson Mr Wafula Chebukati kept them in the dark during the tallying process. She claimed Mr Chebukati did not involve other commissioners in the process.
During the meeting, the president asked Safaricom, in partnership with NCBA and KCB to ensure that Kenyans who have been blacklisted by the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) are cleared to allow them to access loans.
Safaricom, NCBA announced that from October, Fuliza daily charges for loans below Sh1000 by will be reduced by 40 per cent, and a three-day grace period will be introduced. NCBA announced that since Fuliza was launched, about 28 million Kenyans have used the service.
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