Kenyan lawmakers have approved tougher penalties for match-fixing and other forms of sports manipulation, raising the proposed maximum fine from Sh1 million to Sh10 million and increasing the maximum prison term from one year to five years.
The National Assembly passed the Sports (Amendment) Bill, 2026, sponsored by Nominated MP Irene Nyakerario Mayaka, on Wednesday, August 19, in a move aimed at strengthening Kenya’s legal response to manipulation in sporting competitions.
The Bill will now proceed to the Senate for consideration before it can progress through the remaining stages of the legislative process. It is therefore not yet law.
The tougher penalties followed amendments made as lawmakers considered the Bill clause by clause.
The initial proposal provided for a fine of up to Sh1 million, imprisonment for up to one year, or both. MPs considered the proposed punishment inadequate and increased the financial penalty to Sh10 million or three times the value involved in the manipulation, whichever is higher, according to reports on the amendments passed by the House. The maximum prison term was also increased to five years.
Mayaka said the increased penalty followed concerns raised during the parliamentary process that match-fixing could generate far greater financial gains than the original proposed fine.
“Most members felt that the initial fine I had suggested of Sh1 million was not punitive enough,” Mayaka said.
She argued that a penalty must be significant enough to discourage people from participating in organised manipulation schemes, particularly where those involved stand to make substantial sums of money.
Nairobi City Stars CEO Patrick Korir, who has previously spoken about the threat posed by match-fixing to Kenyan football, also welcomed the tougher punishment.
“My recommendation was a five-year jail term and a Sh5 million fine, so improving it to Sh10 million is perfect because it has to be really stringent,” Korir said.
The proposed law introduces a specific legal definition of manipulation of a sports competition, targeting conduct intended to improperly influence the result, progress or conduct of a sporting event.
The offence would cover offering, giving, soliciting or receiving an undue financial or non-financial advantage with the intention of influencing a competition.
It would also cover conspiracy to manipulate an event, deliberately underperforming to achieve a predetermined result, coercing or inducing another person to fix a competition and using inside information for betting or manipulation purposes.
This means the proposed offence goes beyond the traditional understanding of match-fixing as simply paying a player or official to influence a final score.
For example, an athlete who deliberately performs below their ability to produce a predetermined outcome could fall within the scope of the legislation. Similarly, someone who obtains confidential information about a sporting event and uses it to influence betting outcomes could face prosecution if the conduct meets the threshold set by the law.
The legislation is intended to address gaps in Kenya’s existing legal framework. During earlier debate, Mayaka argued that the Sports Act did not contain an explicit criminal offence for sports manipulation, leaving sporting organisations to deal with cases largely through their internal disciplinary systems.
Another significant change concerns how suspected match-fixing cases will be investigated.
The final amendments provide for a two-pronged approach, with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) handling the criminal aspects while sports organisations retain responsibility for investigating breaches of sporting rules.
This differs from an earlier proposal that would have given Sports Kenya a central investigative role. Mayaka said sports federations had raised concerns about Sports Kenya being included in the investigative structure because of questions over its independence and technical capacity.
The National Assembly’s sports committee also concluded that Sports Kenya’s primary mandate is the management and development of sports facilities and that it does not have the necessary institutional and technical capacity to lead complex match-fixing investigations.
The proposed framework requires investigations into reported cases of sports manipulation to be completed within six months.
The Sports Disputes Tribunal will handle appeals arising from decisions made by sports authorities in matters involving manipulation of sporting competitions.
The proposed law would impose consequences beyond criminal prosecution. Athletes, clubs and other sporting participants found responsible for manipulation could face sporting sanctions, including forfeiture of matches, disqualification from competitions and bans from regulated sporting activities.
In serious cases, offenders could face lifetime bans from regulated sporting and gaming events.
The legislation would also allow authorities to target the financial incentives behind match-fixing. Any money, benefit or other proceeds obtained through manipulation could be subject to forfeiture.
The move comes amid continuing concerns about match-fixing and betting-related interference in Kenyan sport.
Earlier in the parliamentary process, lawmakers described sports manipulation as a threat not only to professional athletes but also to fans, sponsors and the credibility of competitions.
The Bill’s sponsor has similarly argued that organised criminal networks require a response beyond internal disciplinary measures by sporting federations.
During the Bill’s earlier stages, Mayaka said the legislation was necessary because internal sporting bodies could be ill-equipped to deal with organised criminal syndicates.
