These tv stations are exploiting poor, desparate Kenyans. I think this is immoral and govt should step in to stop this vice!
I think advertisers should lead the way by pull out from advertising on these stations as they have found a new revenue source which they are paying more attention to. I particularly hate the KTN lottery programme that plays for hours after news. I hear KBC has one too, I don't catch NTV and I know Citizen has that Tahidi High gambling thing.

I so hate them..........ABK! Please warn your friends and relatives not to participate.

...Spread the word. IGNORANT folks are being fooled!!! This is immoral and it should be discussed in PARLIAMENT. Charles Kilonzo, Bonny Khalalwe, Kiema Kilonzo etc save innocent Kenyans!!!

There should be tough legislation to deal with these kind of "competitions". Here are a few ideas:

1) Each company running such a competition must make public the number of smses that were sent each week, total revenue, total payments and to whom! This should be given the same prominence as the advertisement for the competition itself. As a matter of fact they should be advertised together - same font size and all.

2) An empowered and independent betting control agency should vet the whole process.

3) KACC should be required to randomly investigate some of the winners and their relationship with company running the competition. This should be mandatory even if there are no complains from any quarter.

These are money minting con jobs. I am reliably informed that the "Range Rover competition" dudes made 1.3 Billion [with a "B". LOL] profit! And get this. They didn't even have the prices when they started. They used the sms money to pay for the prices including the Range and kept the remaining 1.3B - Thank you very much!

Don't be shocked. Here is a possible scenario. 3 million stupid Kenyans each sends 10 smses [60/= each]. How much do you get? 3,000,000 * 60 * 10 = 1.8 Billion!!! 500m you pay for the prices and marketing and you are left with 1.3 Billion. Now imagine that some Kenyans sent up to 100 smses. You don't even need to reach the threshold of 3 million stupid Kenyans! Now imagine where even the winners are rigged! Do I need to go on?

On Zawadi 2929 on Citizen TV.

An average of between 200,000 - 300,000 text messages are received on a daily basis each costing Kshs. 60/-. (Confirmed this from a RMS insider).

Even after Safaricom and promoters take their share, I think Citizen is smiling all the way to the bank considering the promotion will run for a month.

Is one of these lotteries ya JK (EMK-let)?

Get rich quick schemes + instant gratification = Tamaa mbele mauti baadaye

That's a good one.

I totally agree with you @Ms Kenya. The Citizen one has be executed impeccably. And then it's all up in your face - Zawadi 2-9-2-9. And the choice of the OJs and Wilbrodas of this world to push it is a stroke of genius. A majority of Kenyans who watch Citizen feel like they personally know these fellows. It's like they are being told by a friend "This is how you make half a mill...". Even straight thinking Kenyans are tempted to send a few sms just to be in the mix. The guy in charge should get a handsome Christmas bonus from the half a billion they'll make!

The KTN one is bloody boring. I doubt they can make even 20% of what Citizen is making!

i volunteer to cane them, just name them.