Mums sue betting companies for using daughters’ photos on billboard without consent
Parents of two young girls whose photos have been used on a billboard are in dispute with betting companies for allegedly exploiting the minors.
Through lawyer Harrison Kinyanjui, the mothers of the young girls have sued Green Sports Africa limited, Mcheza, the Nairobi County government and the Attorney General in a case in which the Betting and Licensing board is listed as an interested party.
The parents have accused the two betting companies of violating laws by the board and putting up their children’s photos without their consent or permission from them as the guardians.
EXPLOITATION
Mr Kinyanjui accused the betting companies for using the children’s photos with an aim of making millions of shillings in a manner that can be termed as exploitation.
“It is expressly illegal and in violation of the law to use minors or the images of minors to promote betting and gambling hence the erection of the billboard constitutes to an illegal act,” he said.
The disputed billboard is situated next to Unga house at Woodvale Avenue along Westlands in Nairobi.
The parents have accused the county government of allowing the illegal act within its jurisdiction so as to earn revenue.
“The betting companies and the County government have jointly benefited commercially from the usage of the images of the minors, which act constitutes outlawed commercial exploitation,” Mr Kinyanjui said.
MALICIOUS ACT
According to the mothers, the erection of the billboard without them being notified is a malicious act and that their children stand to suffer if the court does not intervene.
They also claimed not to have been paid any monies yet their children’s images have been used as an advertisement.
One of the mothers told the court that she only learnt of the photos of her child when she stumbled upon it while driving through the said area.
She informed her daughter who schools at St Mary’s that her photos had been wrongly used.
She also got in touch with the two betting companies on Facebook.
After being confronted, the companies only accepted to pay the minors Sh 10,000 each.
SCHOOL CAPTAIN
But Mr Kinyanjui said the woman feared that her child would miss out from being elected as the School Captain should the association with gambling and betting be linked to her via the said billboard.
She pointed out that her daughter is very active in social responsibility matters and has 7,000 followers on Instagram with over 4,000 on Facebook.
Both parents want the betting companies ordered to remove the said billboard or it be destroyed.
They also want the betting companies and the county government stopped from erecting such kind of an advertisement within the city or its peri-urban areas.
The case will be heard on Monday by High Court judge Joseph Onguto.
