Tanzanian Gambler Stoned To Death At Kenyan Casino In Nairobi

A Tanzanian man was stoned to death in Kenya early Tuesday after killing two employees at a Nairobi casino when he gambled away his money. Police said the gambler lost 30,000 Kenyan shillings (about $300) and stabbed to death a manager and a security guard with a dagger, according to Kenyan radio station Capital FM.

“The information we have is that he first attacked a female manager who declined to lend him money to continue gambling, and that is when he went out to fetch a sword and slashed her to death,” Nairobi police chief Japheth Koome reportedly said. “He then slashed a security manager who tried to intervene and killed him.”

Another security guard at the City View Bar and Restaurant Casino in Nairobi’s Eastleigh district was seriously wounded in the attack, which occurred shortly after midnight, and was checked in to a local hospital. The incident sparked panic and chaos at the casino, sending some patrons running for their lives while a mob of onlookers confronted the gambler, according to BBC News.

The mob chased the man, whom Kenyan newspaper Daily Nation identified as John Barnabas Mchanga, and stoned him to death in a nearby street in Kenya’s capital. Police arrived at the scene and interrogated witnesses early Tuesday.

“By the time our officers arrived, they found him dead,” Koome told Capital FM. “An investigation has been launched to ascertain more.”

Gambling has grown in popular in Nairobi in recent years, with casinos located on almost every main street in the central business district. Casino revenue for 2014 was estimated at $20 million, an annual increase of more than 6 percent. Revenue growth is expected to fall, however, due to slower economic growth and a 20 percent withholding tax on gambling winnings, according to a report by professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

“We expect slower economic growth to lead to slower gross casino gambling revenues in Nigeria and Kenya, and continued slow growth in South Africa,” the report stated.

The International Monetary Fund predicted Kenya’s economy would grow by 5.6 percent in 2015, slower than earlier forecasts. But real GDP growth is projected to accelerate to about 6 percent in 2016 due to strong investment, increased tourism and good agricultural yields.