Safaricom has today awarded five more winners with Kshs 1 million each in the ongoing countrywide Shine Kenya Shinda Mamilii Kama Bingwa campaign.

This is the fifth week of the promotion bringing the total number of weekly millionaires to 25. Additionally, each winner received Kshs 250,000 to support a community project of their choice.

The award ceremony took place in Mtwapa, Kilifi County, where the latest five winners were announced namely, Samuel Kuria from Nairobi, Emmanuel Mbogo from Murang’a, Kevin Bitienyi from Kakamega, Geoffrey Langat from Mulot, and Tabu Ndonya from Mariakani.

Speaking during the award ceremony, a 45-year-old mother of four, Tabu Ndonga from Mariakani, expressed her joy after receiving her cheque of Kshs1 million. She stated that the money will significantly help her support her family, as she has struggled to provide for her children’s basic needs due to her minimal income as a house manager. She plans to support her local dispensary with the extra Kshs 250,000.

“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.

Emmanuel Mbogo, an 18-year-old from Murang’a, was elated after being announced as one of the weekly winners in the ongoing campaign. Mbogo, whose dreams were previously shattered due to an inability to afford college fees after completing form four last year, now plans to return to school to pursue a course in plumbing.

This will enable him to secure a job and support his family. Additionally, he intends to use part of his winnings to repay the loan his father took to fund his secondary education, with the remaining amount allocated for his siblings' education.

“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 Mr. 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.”

He also pledged to support the Home for the Elderly in Kasarani, Nairobi County, where he once worked as a volunteer, through the ksh250,000 community projects supported by the Safaricom Foundation. Similarly, Emmanuel Mbogo offered to support the elderly community in Murang’a.

Elsewhere, Kevin Bitienyi, a 33-year-old casual worker from Shimanyiro, Kakamega County, could not hide his happiness after being awarded the cheque.

Mr. Bitienyi said he never imagined he would one day receive a million shillings, having always worked as a casual labourer supporting a local women's agricultural group.

“I have worked as a casual labourer, but from today I will become self-employed as I plan to venture into serious agricultural business to grow myself and support my family. I feel my life is going to change tremendously; I will never be the same,” said Mr. Bitienyi.

The five winners were selected after transacting on M-PESA and purchasing Safaricom’s Shine Kenya bundles for as little as Kshs20. In addition to the Kshs 1 million received by each winner, they also received KES 250,000 from the Safaricom Foundation to support any community initiative of their choice.

“ 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 today.

To participate, customers will need to transact on M-PESA or purchase any Safaricom Bundles. For every Kshs200 transacted on M-PESA and any Bundles purchase of Kshs 20 and above, customers will earn an entry into the weekly draw.

Qualifying M-PESA transactions include Send Money (P2P), Lipa na M-PESA, any transaction made through the M-PESA app, My Safaricom app, or by dialing *444#, *544# or *334#.