Gambling has become an addiction.
Tucked between restaurants and pubs in the heart of Kapenguria, West Pokot County, a small betting room hums with quiet desperation.
Men and boys crowd around flashing machines, their faces lit by the glow of green and red bulbs. The walls are splashed with crude drawings and colourful decorations, a facade of excitement masking the grim reality.
There are only a few benches and two worn-out tables, but no one seems to mind. All eyes are fixed on the screens. A middle-aged woman watches over the room, managing the betting with calm efficiency.
For many here, gambling has become more than a pastime. It is an addiction. A lifeline. A curse.
In Kapenguria, Sigor, and Kacheliba towns in West Pokot County, it is a common occurrence to hear tales of men and women ruined by gambling.
Many men have sold livestock, large parcels of land and gold, and even used their life savings to fund their betting habits. In return, they are left with nothing but regret and families torn apart by the massive financial losses.
Many men have sold livestock, large parcels of land and gold, and even used their life savings to fund their betting habits.
Just two weeks ago, a father of six in Kapenguria sold his three prized bulls to pay college fees for his children, only to end up losing it all at a betting shop.
“My husband lost all the Sh150,000 on betting, and our children are still at home,” his distraught wife told the Nation.
Still reeling from the shock, the woman, who sought anonymity, said, “He was lured [into the betting den] when he was drunk. Sometimes he would win and get a lot of money, but then it would all be lost again. It gives one hope.”
“We are suffering at home because of his unbecoming behaviour,” she said, adding that her husband’s gambling has devastated the family.
This is not an isolated case. It mirrors a growing, yet hidden, crisis in West Pokot County, where rural men are exchanging land and livestock for quick wins.
One pastor from Turkwel said he also lost Sh500,000 to gambling. He had earned the money from gold sales and intended to buy a car. But he turned to betting in an attempt to “win big”. “I wanted more money, but now I am just a pauper on this earth,” he said.
At Kabichibich Trading Centre in Pokot South sub-county, we find a small room that houses three pool tables. Dozens of young boys mill around, pool sticks in hand, eagerly awaiting their turn. For them, it starts as a game, but many are quickly swept into the same cycle of betting, debt and loss.
Social worker Ms Emily Partany has witnessed first-hand the damage that these betting habits inflict on families and paints a grim picture of husbands and sons consumed by gambling, especially those who travel from remote rural areas to major towns.
“Many mothers have complained about these games that have ruined their husbands and children. We should advise our people not to misuse their wealth in such things,” she said.
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Ms Partany also warns that gambling is creeping into schools, with primary and secondary school students engaging in betting on phones, newspapers, and lotto machines. Some parents have complained that their children are stealing money to gamble, she added.
Ms Partany asked parents to closely monitor their children and urged the police to crack down on gambling dens, especially those near schools, which risk promoting other illegal activities.
“We want police to be watchful. We have seen young pupils skip class to gamble,” she observed.
Religious leaders are also alarmed by the gambling trend.
Religious leaders are also alarmed by the gambling trend.
Pastor Robert Nato from the Redeemed Gospel Church in Mathare, Kapenguria, says that betting has become a danger to youths. “Even students lose school fees in gambling games. The thrill of winning becomes addictive and can lead to neglect of family, work and responsibilities,” he warned.
Elder Philip Lomongin said, “It is a shame. Many people have become a laughingstock after losing millions of shillings in gambling.”
He said the community should understand the realities of gambling and avoid it. “Most people don’t know that in gambling there is no certainty of winning. You win only by luck,” Mr Lomongin added.
Mr Domorita Lokakwarita, a resident of Alale in the North Pokot sub-County, lives with deep regret after losing the proceeds from the sale of his land through gambling just one year ago.
Mr Lokakwarita, 49, sold his plot for Sh200,000 and was paid in cash. He took Sh100,000 with him to Kapenguria town and left the remaining amount at home with his wife. However, he lost his money to gambling in Makutano Township.
“I started by staking Sh10,000 and won Sh30,000 from three other players,” he recalled. “Encouraged by the win, they convinced me to risk Sh50,000, promising that I could double it. I ended up winning Sh100,000.”
Feeling victorious, he celebrated by buying drinks for himself and his friends at the nearby club. But the celebration was short-lived.
“The gamblers came back and urged me to continue playing. I went out and staked Sh50,000 again. I won the first round but lost the next four. Soon, I was left with only Sh10,000, which I also spent on drinks. That is when it hit me: I had lost everything. I cursed myself for getting into the game. It was a painful experience,” he told Daily Nation.
The loss left him emotionally devastated. “I tried calling my wife to send me the money I had left at home, but she refused. I was so stressed that I began wandering the streets of Makutano like a madman,” he recalled.
The fallout affected his family deeply. Upon learning that all the money was gone, Mr Lokakwarita’s wife returned to her parents’ home with the Sh100,000 he had left with her.
“She only came back recently after elders intervened and helped us reconcile,” he said.
Unlicensed gambling dens have mushroomed across towns.
Despite the pain and consequences, Mr Lokakwarita says he holds no one else responsible. “I joined the game out of my own free will. But I have learned my lesson. I will never gamble again,” he said.
“Those card players work together; it is a well-organised con. They use cards and bottle tops on a wooden board to trick people,” Mr Lokakwarita added.
He hopes that his story serves as a warning to others.
A recent operation led by Pokot South Deputy County Commissioner Charles Akwanalo in Kamelei and Tapach shopping centres resulted in the confiscation of five illegal pool tables. Three individuals were arrested for operating without valid licences.
Police Commander Said Shungi expressed shock at the use of fraudulent licences, where multiple operators used photocopies of a single permit. He warned that these gambling venues are often located near schools and residential areas, exposing children to harmful influences.
He also criticised the poor placement of these gambling spots, often near schools and homes, saying they expose children to harmful behaviour.
In Pokot South, the situation is particularly dire. Unlicensed gambling dens, particularly pool tables, have mushroomed across towns, luring both youth and adults.
“The environment around these pool tables is neither healthy nor morally sound. Their proximity to schools and homes makes it easy for children to engage in harmful behaviour. Our elders have strongly opposed them, and we must respect their wisdom,” Mr Shungi said.
West Pokot County Commissioner Khalif Abdullahi said the government has received numerous complaints and confirmed that youth idling in gambling dens is a growing problem.
“People are frustrated. Youths are idling in these dens, wasting time and money. Parents complain that children steal money to gamble. It is affecting families,” he said.
Community leaders are now calling for stronger regulation, civic education, and a collective approach to save people before more lives are lost to the lure of easy money.
Ms Partany said there is a need for civic education on gambling to help residents understand its consequences.
“Many illiterate and less-exposed residents have been exploited. Even government employees, including teachers, have not been spared after receiving their salaries. Parents have wasted their hard-earned money on gambling, leaving them unable to pay school fees for their children,” she said.
The 2022 FinAccess Household Survey revealed that West Pokot has one of Kenya’s highest gambling rates, at 25 percent, well above the national average of 11 percent. Nakuru County has a higher prevalence at 26 percent while Nyandarua follows the two closely at 23 percent.
The survey was funded by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), and Financial Sector Deepening Kenya (FSD Kenya).
