Professor Musili Wambua, Chairman of Kenya’s Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB), would remain on his post until the Court of Appeal announces its decision on whether the official is eligible to be reappointed as Chairman of the regulator, local media reported.
The BCLB is a government-run agency and is in charge of licensing and controlling betting and other gambling venues, tax recovery on both betting and gaming services, and authorizing the country’s public lotteries.
Last year, Prof. Wambua appealed High Court orders, under which he should not be allowed to hold two public services at the same time. Apart from being Chairman of BCLB, he is also an Associate Dean at the School of Law in the University of Nairobi.
The dispute over Prof. Wambua’s eligibility to be reappointed as head of the gambling regulator has been heating recently as his tenure is to end on January 8. The announcement that he is to remain on his post until the Court of Appeal makes its decision came after his lawyers, Commission on Administrative Justice Chairman Otiende Amolo, and Attorney General Githu Muigai reached an agreement on December 30, 2015.
Joseph Kinyua, Head of Kenya’s Public Service Commission, said said in a circular to the country’s Attorney General, as well as to both cabinet secretaries and principal secretaries that academic staff at public universities and researchers at various research institutions should be allowed to hold two public offices.
According to Mr. Kinyua, such an exception to the general rule should only apply when a written regulation stipulates that academic staff or researchers with relevant knowledge and skills may take a given office. He also noted that the State Corporations Advisory Committee should approve such a move first.
During his tenure, Mr. Wambua has been responsible for Kenya’s KES5-billion betting, gaming, and lotteries industry. As mentioned above, a Court of Appeal would decide whether he would be reelected as head of the country’s gambling regulator.
According to a December 2015 report, Kenya’s gambling industry was expected to generate KES2.2 billion over the past twelve months, up from the KES2 billion reported for 2014. The report also said that gross gaming revenue is expected to increase to KES2.9 billion by 2019 as betting, gaming, and lottery options are expected to gain more popularity.
