A Kenyan judge suspended a ban on gambling ads on Monday after a musician complained it robbed him of his right to make celebrity endorsements, court papers showed.

The government brought in a raft of new regulations this month – including bans on such endorsements and advertising on social media – saying the rapidly growing industry was harming the young and the poor.

But musician, Muriji Kamau Wanjohi launched a legal challenge days after the restrictions were imposed, calling them “irrational and unreasonable”, court papers showed.

He argued that the ban deprived him of income since he “earns a living thorough endorsement of products and services due to his influence and celebrity status”.