Kenya’s Senate has given the Kilifi County Government 30 days to account for delays in developing regulations required to implement its Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act and 35 other pieces of county legislation.
The directive was issued on September 22, 2026, by the Senate Committee on Delegated Legislation during a meeting at the Kilifi County Assembly. The committee asked for a comprehensive report on all outstanding regulations, warning that laws without the necessary implementation frameworks risk remaining ineffective.
The meeting took place during the Senate’s five-day sitting in Kilifi County, held from September 21 to 25. Deputy Governor Flora Chibule led the County Executive delegation and briefed senators on the status of regulations across various departments.
According to an official parliamentary report, 36 laws and legislative instruments across eight county departments do not have the supporting regulations needed for effective implementation. Some regulations have yet to be developed, while others have not been submitted to the County Assembly for review and approval.
The affected legislation includes the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act, the Valuation for Rating Act, and the Revenue Administration Act, alongside other outstanding regulations covering revenue collection, education, environmental management, agriculture, livestock, trade, healthcare, and social development.
The delays have raised concerns about the enforcement of county laws, particularly those governing betting and gaming activities. Without clear regulations, authorities may find it difficult to implement statutory requirements and apply consistent procedures for compliance.
Senator Mwenda Gataya, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Delegated Legislation, criticized the County Executive for failing to address the regulatory gaps.
He described the delays as an abdication of responsibility and said he remained concerned that recommendations made during the committee’s 2025 visit to Kilifi had not been implemented. Members of the Kilifi County Assembly who attended the meeting also questioned the County Executive’s commitment to upholding the rule of law.
In response, county officials said the outstanding regulations are at different stages of development and pledged to pursue the legal processes required to bring them into effect. The committee then directed the Kilifi County Assembly, working in consultation with the County Executive, to prepare and submit a detailed report to the Senate within one month, outlining progress on the outstanding regulations.
The Senate’s intervention also highlights how critical it is for counties to finalize the regulatory frameworks needed to operationalize their legislation. For Kilifi’s betting and gaming sector, delays in implementing the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act could leave uncertainty over how county-level requirements will be applied and enforced.
The committee warned that failure to operationalize legislation can undermine enforcement, delay policy implementation, and leave residents without clear mechanisms for exercising their rights or meeting their legal obligations.
Kilifi County will now be expected to demonstrate progress within the 30-day deadline as scrutiny intensifies over the implementation of its betting, gaming, and other county laws.
