Gambler goes berserk after losing money, kills two casino managers in Nairobi

Nairobi, Kenya: A gambler went berserk Tuesday morning and slashed to death two managers of a casino after he had gambled and lost Sh30,000 in Eastleigh, Nairobi.

The man, identified as John Muchanga, was however confronted and killed by a mob as he tried to attack a third person at the City View Casino on Tenth Street, Eastleigh.

The gambler, who is a Tanzanian, had been gambling in the casino when he lost the money at about 12.10 a.m., police and other gamblers and revellers said. Nairobi police boss Japheth Koome said Muchanga confronted a female manager there and asked her if he could borrow more cash for gambling.

“But the manager seems to have declined to lend him the cash he wanted which angered him. He walked out and came back armed with a Somali sword which he used to first slash the woman killing her on the spot,” said Koome.

A security manager who tried to intervene and save the woman was also attacked and slashed to death.

A third person, a security manager was injured by the gambler who stabbed him in the shoulder. Koome said it was then that a mob that had been watching the drama attacked Muchanga and killed him.

“By the time police arrived at the scene, he had been lynched by a mob that was angered by his earlier acts,” said Koome.

The injured guard was taken to hospital where officials said he is in a stable condition.

Gambling is increasingly gaining popularity in Kenya.

Gambling is governed by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB now valued at more than Sh5 billion.

 BCLB which is a government agency under the ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government is tasked with controlling and licensing of betting and gaming premises, recovery of tax on betting and gaming, and authorising public lotteries.

Projections are that gross gambling revenue in Kenya would rise to Sh2.2 billion up from Sh2 billion that was realised in 2014.

The projections were contained in a 2015 report by auditing firm PwC, which added the revenues is expected to rise to Sh2.9 billion in 2019 as more players enter the industry.

In the current scenario, some of the big names in the industry are in sports betting. They include Sportpesa, which in 2014 invested Sh400 million, Oxygen 8, Betin, mCheza and Betway.

There are also SMS lotteries offered by mobile telecommunication companies, online gambling sites and the oldest, Kenya Charity Sweepstake.