Kenyan betting giant Betika has come under renewed scrutiny following a complaint seeking investigations into alleged links between the gaming firm and a massive Safaricom customer data breach involving millions of subscribers.
The complaint, filed with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), is based on findings presented in a High Court case concerning the alleged unauthorised access and sharing of Safaricom customer information.
The matter stems from Constitutional Petition E095 of 2026, in which the High Court examined forensic evidence relating to the alleged compromise of Safaricom subscriber data between 2018 and 2019.
According to the court record, forensic analysis of WhatsApp communications involving former Safaricom employees indicated that subscriber and betting-related information was allegedly shared with third parties for commercial purposes.
The court noted that the communications referenced several names and entities, including betting firms and individuals, as recipients of the alleged data.
Among the entities mentioned in the forensic material was Shop and Deliver Limited, trading as Betika, alongside references to individuals identified as “the Mburus” and other parties.
The complaint lodged after the judgment is seeking investigations into Betika’s operations and calls for regulatory action by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya (GRAK), including a review of the company’s licences.
The allegations centre on claims that personal information belonging to millions of Safaricom subscribers may have been accessed and used without authorisation. The data reportedly included customer details, transaction-related information, location data, device identifiers and betting activity profiles.
The scale of the alleged breach has drawn attention because of the sensitivity of the information involved. Security experts have previously warned that combining personal identity details with financial behaviour and gambling patterns could expose individuals to targeted marketing, fraud and other privacy risks.
The DCI complaint comes amid wider scrutiny of Kenya’s betting sector following investigations involving other gaming companies linked to the same forensic evidence.
Authorities are expected to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support criminal investigations or regulatory action against any individuals or companies named in the complaint.
Under Kenyan law, companies and directors can face liability where investigators establish involvement in offences relating to unauthorised access to computer systems, handling of unlawfully obtained information, or benefiting from proceeds connected to criminal activity.
The case has placed renewed focus on data protection, corporate responsibility and the role of regulators in Kenya’s fast-growing betting industry, where companies rely heavily on customer information for marketing and engagement.
As investigations progress, attention will remain on whether authorities will take further action against firms named in the forensic material and what consequences, if any, may arise from the alleged breach.
