We couldn't support our staff anymore – SportPesa CEO Karauri

Sportpesa CEO Ronald Karauri has defended the company's decision to lay off 400 of their staff saying they could not support them anymore.

Speaking to Kamene and Kibe on KissFm's Morning Show on Thursday, Karauri, however, said they had not lost hope in the fight.

"We've been keeping our employees for three months with no revenue so we had to do what we had to do. With the new taxation rules, the business has become tricky," Karauri said.

The Sportpesa boss said other online betting companies from outside have not been subjected to the rules they had been given.

The gaming firm on Wednesday announced the decision to send hundreds of their employees home following closure of its operations in Kenya.

The firm last week announced the move to shut down saying it would resume operations when Kenya puts in place "adequate taxation and non-hostile regulatory environment".

The announcement came hours after another top betting firm, Betin, declared its staff redundant.

The move follows the government's decision to impose a 20 per cent tax on all betting stakes, a move that the firms have cited as damaging on both their customers and treasury.

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