A 45-year-old woman from Mariakani, Mombasa County, is among five more Kenyans who were awarded one million shillings each in the ongoing countrywide Safaricom ‘Shine Kenya Shinda Mamili Kama Bingwa’ campaign.
Tabu Khamisi Ndonga was among the winners awarded by Safaricom on Wednesday in Mtwapa, Kilifi County.
The five, Tabu Ndonga from Mombasa, Samuel Kuria from Nairobi, Emmanuel Mbogo from Murang’a, Kevin Bitienyi from Kakamega, and Geoffrey Langat from Mulot, were the week five winners in the ongoing promotion, bringing the total number of weekly millionaires to 25.
Speaking during the award ceremony, Tabu Ndonga said the money would help her significantly in supporting her family.
“I really don’t know what to say at this point, as it’s still unbelievable. I am a mother of four and have really struggled raising my kids with my limited income. I believe this is a new beginning, as I feel my life changing. I plan to start a small business, build a decent house, and pay school fees for my kids,” said Mrs. Ndonga.
The winners were also awarded an extra sh.250,000 which Tabu Ndonga plans to use to support her local dispensary.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Mbogo, an 18-year-old winner from Murang’a County said he planned to use part of his winnings to repay the loan his father took to fund his secondary education. He also planned to go back to school.
“I am grateful to Safaricom for remembering the less fortunate in society. I never imagined I would win something that could transform my life and revive my shattered dreams. We have struggled a lot as a family, to the extent that my father had to take a loan to educate me and some of my siblings, which is still pending. First, I want to clear the loan, then enroll in a plumbing course, and pay for my siblings’ school fees,” said Mbogo.
Similar sentiments about school fees and returning to education were echoed by Samuel Kuria, a part-time lecturer at a private university in the country. Samuel said, “We are living in tough economic times, and many people are struggling to make ends meet. I feel this is a great initiative by Safaricom to support and transform Kenyans’ lives. I have a few projects that have stalled due to financial constraints. With this money, my hopes of going back to school to pursue my PhD have come true, and I can expand my poultry project, which I have partnered on with my mum.”
Kevin Bitienyi, a 33-year-old casual worker from Shimanyiro, Kakamega County said he planned to venture into serious agricultural business to grow himself and support his family.
The five winners were selected after transacting on M-PESA and purchasing Safaricom’s Shine Kenya bundles for as little as KES 20. In addition to the KES 1 million received by each winner, they also received KES 250,000 from the Safaricom Foundation to support any community initiative of their choice.
“The truth of the matter is that we are living in tough economic times, and many Kenyans are struggling to make ends meet. At Safaricom, we continue to support, transform and empower Kenyans to have a tangible impact on society through our various community-based projects and campaigns such as Shine Kenya Shinda Mamilii Kama Bingwa. Since launching this campaign in early May, we have made 25 millionaires across the country and supported various community projects of their choice. We still have six more winners to announce, including the grand prize winner who will receive KES 5 million,” said Peter Ndegwa, Chief Executive Officer, Safaricom PLC.
As part of bringing services closer to the people, Safaricom also opened four new franchises in various parts of the Coast region.
