Sh30m lottery winner hosted to gala lunch

By Rawlings Otieno

The winner of the Sh30 million grand prize in the ‘Kwachu Mamilli’ promotion, Haron Mwakesi, and other winners were hosted to a gala lunch at a Nairobi Hotel.

The promotion by ‘Amaya’ SMS Lottery Promotion and Gaming Company lasted 120 days, with Sh1million and prizes of Sh100,000 being won every day.

In the promotion, participants were expected to send a text message with the word ‘Kwachu’ to 4848. Only winners were contacted. The show was televised daily on KTN.

The Sh30 million won by Mwakesi is the highest since the Betting Control and Licensing (BCLC) Act came into force.

The winner of the Sh30m grand prize in the Amaya Lottery ‘Kwachua Mamilli’ promotion , Haron Makesi, arrives at the Hilton Hotel for the gala lunch, on Saturday. Looking on is Amaya General Manager Roy Brown. Photo: Moses Omusula/Standard

Speaking during the gala lunch, incoming Amaya General Manager Wayne Ashe, said the company’s objective is to provide credibility and transparent gaming services.

"We are here to make people millionaires through transparency and trust. We want people to believe in us," said Wayne.

He noted that Amaya Kenya would continue to offer the most credible and reliable gaming services.

The general manager said Amaya would pay 25 per cent of its profits to reputable charity organisations as is stipulated by the Betting Act.

"It is vital to Amaya that the charities that need the money get it. That is why we are working hard to realise this dream", he said.

The ‘Kwachu Mamilli’ promotion ended last week, with presentation of the grand prize and cheques to the last five Sh1million winners.

It was all smiles for the health worker who said the news that he was the lucky winner of the Sh30 million grand prize came as a pleasant surprise to him.

"I thought that somebody was lying when I received the call that I had won, because I had only sent a few text messages," said excited Mwakesi.

The father of two, who is a resident of Kinango District, Kwale County, said he had won the money when he needed it most as he would use part of it to pay school fees for his son who is in Form Four.

Mwakesi said he had dropped out of school due to lack of fees but later joined Machakos Medical Training Institute in 1986 on a Government-sponsored programme.

Amaya Lottery is an international company that began in 1994 in Toronto Canada and is now operating in more than six countries across the world.