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Sacred swindle: Kenya¡¯s unlicenced operators hiding behind gospel
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Kenya has seen its digital television sector grow, with more than 359 channels streaming into households nationwide. About a quarter of these stations focus on religion, blending spiritual teachings with entertainment. But behind this surge lies a troubling reality. Religious broadcasters are misusing the airwaves to profit through illegal schemes. At the centre stands Yahweh¡¯s Media Services Limited, a Nairobi-based company accused of leading one of the boldest scams ever witnessed in Kenya¡¯s broadcasting history.
How faith-based channels rose to power
The switch to digital TV brought hundreds of new broadcasters, many of whom used religious themes to attract audiences. Channels like Jawabu TV, Madhabahu TV, Yahweh¡¯s TV and Shahada TV air preachers¡¯ messages, gospel songs and even action films with voice-overs. But beneath this display of faith, a clever con runs the show. It is led by a self-proclaimed ¡°propheté¢ named David Maina, also known as Karuru or Kagechu, who operates out of an office at K-Mall, located a mere hundred meters away from Kangundo Road.
When gospel crosses into gambling
Under the guise of charity and divine blessings, people are encouraged to participate in TV games of chance. Hosts, who often stay unknown and appear behind mysterious settings, assure viewers of ¡°blessingsé¢ like cash prizes if they transfer small amounts through mobile payment. The starting contribution is between Sh10 and Sh50, which seems affordable enough to attract Kenya¡¯s most vulnerable and struggling people. People who participate see fake notifications pop up on their screens, saying things like, ¡°Congrats, you¡¯re a finalist,¡± or ¡°Send Sh20 now to claim your prize.¡±
Whistleblowers expose the truth
Whistleblowers have exposed the operation in harsh detail. ¡°Nobody comes out ahead. It¡¯s all a sham. We create pretend winners, and the money disappears right away,¡± one insider shared. Behind-the-scenes recordings show presenters ridiculing victims. One laughs and says, ¡°wizi ninakufunza¡± (I¡¯m teaching you theft). Another states, ¡°this is when we make money,¡± showing how intentional the exploitation is.
Workers talk about a cycle of lies where fake participants are prepared, random names are made up out of nowhere, and no one ever gets paid. People watching are encouraged to send more and more money under the false hope that they¡¯re ¡°just about to win,¡± thereby sinking further into debt and despair.
Heartbreaking personal cost
The damage caused by this scam is overwhelming. Ms Ruth Wanjiku, a grandmother living in Kikuyu, was unwell at home when she came across it. Tempted by an offer to win Sh10,000 by sending just Sh10, she ended up losing more than Sh6,000 in under an hour. ¡°They announced my name and asked me to send more money to win. I kept participating. It felt like I was the only one involved,¡± she shared.
In the same way, widower Joseph Ng¡¯ang¡¯a lost his children¡¯s school fees to gambling. ¡°I just wanted to win Sh40,000 but ended up with nothing,¡± he shared. Like countless others, he saved the money for real needs that he had to address, only to see it disappear into the scam. Whistleblowers reveal this happens on purpose. ¡°The company has no plans to give out actual prizes. They even use staff members to pretend to be winners. Nobody wins anything,¡± one insider admitted.
Using emotions as a tool
The scam targets Kenya¡¯s weak economic spots. Unemployment, inflation, and rising costs of living make the allure of easy money hard to resist. Hosts play on people¡¯s fears by sharing stories about illnesses, unpaid school fees, and family emergencies. One host was caught saying, ¡°If your child is unwell, just send Sh50 to win Sh50,000.¡± These lines are crafted with care to tap into the audience¡¯s biggest worries.
Gaps in oversight
Even with obvious evidence of illegal activity, enforcement agencies have fallen behind in addressing the issue. Peter Mbugi, head of the , admitted that Yahweh¡¯s Media Services ¡°does not hold a gambling licence and is therefore not permitted to conduct any form of gambling.¡± The company, however, exploits loopholes and changes its presentation¡ªsometimes appearing as religious shows and at other times as entertainment programs to avoid detection.
faces similar challenges. Although it issues licences for broadcasting frequencies, it lacks the tools needed to oversee gambling hidden under other content. This gap allows deceptive broadcasters to reach millions of homes each day with almost no consequences.
Calls to act quickly
Consumer advocates and law enforcement say on-air gambling fraud will get worse without decisive action. They want the BCLB and CA to collaborate in conducting raids, blocking suspicious bank accounts, and encouraging religious broadcasters to disclose all financial details. They also urge mobile money companies to flag transactions tied to fraudulent broadcasts.
Local communities need to step in. Teaching at-risk audiences how to handle media and money might reduce the scam¡¯s effects. People are also urging faith leaders to speak out against the mixing of gospel and gambling and to sever ties with shady broadcasters.
Wrap-up
Kenya¡¯s shift to digital TV aimed to make entertainment and information available to everyone. However, it has also become a platform where a ¡°gospel of greed¡± feeds off economic struggles and people¡¯s faith. Whistleblowers have revealed the extent of the scams, sparking a growing public backlash. The biggest challenge for Kenya¡¯s media now is determining whether regulators and civil society can take sufficient action to protect the country¡¯s most vulnerable citizens.
