Proposed Sports Bill sparks debate over match-fixing

Sponsored by Nominated MP Irene Mayaka, the Bill seeks to criminalise sports manipulation, strengthen investigations and protect whistleblowers, addressing what lawmakers say has been a long-standing gap in Kenya's sports governance.

Mayaka said the current draft of the Bill gives Sports Kenya investigative powers. However, she said feedback received during public participation has proposed transferring that mandate to the DCI and the policing unit over concerns about Sports Kenya's independence.

"There's been feedback from public participation that a lot of federations feel the investigative power should not lie with Sports Kenya because they feel they're not independent enough," she said.

Furthermore, she said the proposal will be considered during the Committee of the Whole House, where legislators are expected to debate possible amendments before the Bill returns to the National Assembly for its Third Reading.

She maintained that regardless of who is given the investigative mandate, Kenya urgently needs legislation to tackle match-fixing.

"The major reason is because we have never had any laws that make it a criminal act. So people feel like they can get away with it," she said.

The Bill also proposes legal protection for whistleblowers, whom Mayaka described as critical to exposing those behind match-fixing syndicates.

"The whistleblowers are the people who will be able to fish out the people behind it. If they don't have protection under the law, then they can't do it," she said.

Nairobi City Stars Chief Executive Officer Patrick Korir welcomed the proposed reforms but cautioned that legislation alone would not eliminate the vice without proper enforcement.

"There are clubs that have actually shut down because of this vice. Nairobi City Stars right now we are just at the edge whether to continue or just stop playing because there's no safe space for the investment," Korir said.

Match-fixing has remained a concern in Kenyan sport, particularly football, with repeated allegations threatening the credibility of competitions, discouraging investment and eroding public confidence. The proposed amendments seek to provide a legal framework for investigating and prosecuting sports manipulation while strengthening integrity measures across the sector.

The Bill will now proceed to the Committee of the Whole House, where legislators are expected to consider proposed amendments, including whether investigative powers should remain with Sports Kenya or be transferred to the DCI, before it returns to the National Assembly for its Third Reading.