The sacked employees were workers of the popular sporting betting firm, SportPesa which recently halted its operations in Kenya.
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Popular betting company sacks all 400 employees after closing down
Over 400 employees of a betting firm have been rendered jobless after the betting company shut down its operations.
File Photo
The firm had to close down its offices in the East African country following a rise in tax on betting stakes.
On Wednesday, the online sports betting company informed its employees that their services were no longer needed.
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Numbering over 400, the employees were informed of the news by the company's CEO, Ronald Karauri.
A video circulating shows one of the employees lamenting how he has been forced to look for a cheaper house as his future remains uncertain.
The Kenyan government has been involved in a long-standing battle with some companies over tax.
The country’s Interior Ministry also moved to purge gambling firms over outstanding tax arrears.
The 2019 Financial Act also proposed tax on customer stakes by the National Treasury.
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"SportPesa is disappointed with the decision by the Kenyan legislature to impose a 20% excise tax on all betting stakes," the betting firm said in a statement.
"The tax is based on a fundamental misunderstanding by the Rotich led treasury of how revenue generation works in the bookmaker industry.”
Meanwhile, another big betting firm Betin has also laid off its workers after shutting down.
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