Kenya’s Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) says 11 gambling firms have met the licensing requirements for the 2026/2027 financial year. In a letter dated November 2, 2026, the Authority shared details of the approved operators with Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa. The information included each company’s registered name, trading name, license number and approved Paybill number.
The announcement highlights the regulator’s focus on licensing compliance and coordination with payment providers. The article’s text does not name the companies; those details appear in an accompanying image. Paybill numbers are commonly used by businesses to collect payments through mobile money services.
The GRA’s letter gives Safaricom information about the payment numbers associated with the operators it recognizes as licensed for the financial year. The announcement does not say that Safaricom was instructed to suspend or restrict payment accounts linked to unlicensed operators.
It does, however, underline the role payment infrastructure can play in the gambling sector and the value of sharing accurate licensing information. The GRA cited Section 28(1) of the Gambling Control Act, 2025, which prohibits individuals and companies from conducting gambling activities or providing gambling services without the appropriate license.
Businesses must obtain the required authorization before offering regulated gambling services. Existing operators must also maintain valid licenses and comply with applicable conditions. The announcement did not identify any enforcement action, penalties or prosecutions related to the list.
The Authority says it will update the list periodically as licensing information changes. It did not provide a timetable for the next update, so the current announcement should be treated as a record of the operators identified at this time, not necessarily a complete or permanent list for the whole financial year.
Publishing operator names, license details and payment numbers can help the public and other organizations verify regulatory status. For gambling businesses, the GRA’s announcement reinforces the requirement to secure the appropriate license before operating in Kenya.
