Gambling craze sinking jobless youth into pit of hopelessness

Area chiefs and Kakamega Police officers led by Kakamega Central Deputy County Commissioner Galia Ndaiya, OCPD David Kabena and OCS Mohammed Godana confiscated 28 gambling machines worthy of over Sh28,000.  [Mumo Munuve, Standard]

As a fresh graduate, this writer joined a band of sports gamblers, football diehards who whiled time away predicting match outcomes. One evening, a random texter, one of the many hoping to accrue a following, presented odds for what they called fixed matches, and I hesitantly wagered Sh20. I won Sh10,420 from the bet.

That money would soon find its way back to the vicious betting circles that take no prisoners, with the issuer of the odd winning bet asking for thousands of shillings so that they could send an even bigger winning ticket. Takes and gives left this reformed gambler with barely anything. This is the story of many a gambler.