Just two weeks after Kenya introduced gambling advertising restrictions, they have been temporarily suspended by The High Court in Nairobi.
The decision was ruled after Kenyan musician Murigi Kamau (known as MC Moreydoc) went to court. He claimed that the advertising ban threatens his livelihood. This is due to a clause that would prohibit celebrities from endorsing gambling services. The bill was supposed to take effect next week, banning celebrity endorsements online or on billboards.
That’s the first time that such a ban was overruled. This could also be a precedent for Italy, where gambling advertising was recently banned. Furthermore, sponsorships and endorsements were also banned, making this case more topical.
Kamau offered several reasons for the ban to be overruled. First, the terms «celebrity» was not defined. Secondly, even if it would be, it would be discriminatory. According to him, the law denies celebrities “a way to earn an honest livelihood.»
He said that any existing contracts would also be affected. Thus, additional losses might have occurred.
The ban’s suspension terms were not specified. However, it’s clear that there would be more news on gambling advertisement in Kenya and the region.