Correspondent | NATION Jonathan Okello with his Aunt Catherine Okello (left), mother Peninah Okello (second right) and auntie Paris Oweggi after he was presented with the Sh25 million cheque on Monday at Safaricom House in Nairobi
Jonathan Okello’s world was collapsing around his feet just nine months ago.
The 21-year-old had to interrupt his studies at a Romanian University when his visa expired and he was ordered to return to Kawangware slums, the place he calls home.
Normally, student visas are renewed without sending people back to their home country, but in what he saw as a case bad luck, he just had to return.
“They refused to renew my visa and told me to return to my home country to do it,” Mr Okello says.
To make matters worse, on his return to Kenya the Embassy of Romania declined to renew his visa, delaying his return.
The frustrations went on until last Friday when he received a life changing phone call telling him he had won Sh25 million in the Masonko na Safaricom Consumer Promotion.
After nine months of disappointments with the travel papers the first born in a family of two was almost giving up on getting back to his studies.
Distressed, his mother, whom he describes as religious, consoled him, telling him there must be a reason for that to happen.
At first he thought the hidden purpose of delay was to save him from the ravages of the European winter which peaks in December. But his pious mother might have sensed something bigger and as it turned out, there were million of reasons for staying at home.
It seems it was just fate that led this hotel management student to win the largest single cash prize yet in Kenya. But to him and his family they attribute the changed fortunes to God.
“After the phone call, I went ahead to break the news to my mother. She was in our church preparing for the following day’s sermon. We are Seventh-Day Adventist” he said.
Now he does not question why the Romanian Embassy kept on denying him the visa. He just says it was for a reason that he was around at the time of the promotion, kept his phone on and used it.
Nine lucky subscribers scooped the weekly Sh5 million while another 74 landed the Sh1 million daily prize, but Mr Okello took home the coveted Sh25 million.
“From what we have gone through, I know they are happy,” he says when asked how his family reacted to his win.
Mr Okello’s mother comes from an extended family of 11 and he has a surprise in store for all.
“Although we’ve been having such celebrations every year, this year was meant to be different with no such party,” he says.
Without being too extravagant, his first spend will be to host the family during this year Christmas celebrations.
And then, he says, it will be back to normal. Luckily, for him, the prize money came with free personal finance advice.
“I have to complete my studies because that is important to me. I could either go back to Romania or get another good school, but I have to go back to class,” he says.
He says he will not let the new millionaire status divert him from his plans, bearing in mind the attention it earns him. Between Friday and Monday his facebook friends have multiplied to hit the 4,000 limit.
Source: Daily Nation
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