Some opportunities are truly once-in-a-lifetime. In Kenya, a handful of lucky individuals have walked away with staggering lottery and betting jackpots—and their stories of how they used that money are fascinating.
Samuel Abisai
Samuel made headlines when he won a 221 million shilling SportPesa mega jackpot with a modest 200 KES bet predicting 17 matches correctly. After the win, he took a holiday abroad, then donated to his church and invested in real estate. He also helped some friends start businesses.
Gordon Ogada
Gordon holds the record for Kenya’s largest-ever jackpot win, totaling around 230.7 million shillings. Five months later, he told the press he was broke—not because he spent recklessly, but because he had tied much of the money up in long-term investments. Later reports revealed he had built a luxury home in Migori and used the funds to support disadvantaged children’s education and care for the elderly.
Cosmas Korir
In October 2018, Cosmas won 208.8 million shillings with SportPesa. He bought a Toyota Land Cruiser V8 (about 12 million shillings), gave two betting friends 5 million each, and invested heavily in property. He completed a house in Bomet (costing 2 million), paid off a 3.5 million loan, purchased a flat in Eldoret, invested in fixed deposits (130 million), and acquired two flats in Kitengela.
Eli Kipruto Rotich
A student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology, Eli struck it rich with the Betika Mega Jackpot—walking away with 200 million shillings after placing just a 49 KES bet and predicting 17 matches correctly.
Geoffrey Kung’u
A small-scale farmer from Nyandarua, Geoffrey won 100 million shillings in the Lotto Shinda Mamili Charity draw at the start of 2017. At the time, he said he planned to sit down with his family, budget the winnings, and invest in expanding his farming operations.
