Kenya’s youngest national lottery has suspended its operations to protest the country’s new gambling taxes.
On Sunday, the Pambazuka National Lottery (PNL) announced that its January 7 draw would be its last in Kenya, following the government’s imposition on January 1 of a new uniform 35% tax on all gambling products.
PNL’s parent company Bradley Kenya launched the new lottery in July 2016, but the company said PNL would cease operations until a “sustainable regulatory framework” was established. PNL said lottery winners would have until April 7 to claim their winnings.
The PNL sued the government last October, based on the operator’s belief that the tax was an unconstitutional punishment meted out against a single industry and that President Uhuru Kenyatta had exceeded his authority by signing the tax into law.